On Friday, for Prince Edward’s 59th birthday, his brother King Charles gave him the Duke of Edinburgh title which had been promised to him back when he married Sophie. QEII and Prince Philip both made their feelings known, that when Philip passed away, Edward should receive the Edinburgh ducal title. Charles had other ideas, and for a while there, I honestly believed that Charles was never going to give the title to Edward. Sophie campaigned for it hard – she would have everyone believe that she alone was QEII’s favorite and that Edward was Philip’s favorite. So now the Wessexes have become the Edinburghs, although they still get to keep the Wessex title. And this title is only for the rest of Edward and Sophie’s lifetimes – their son James will not inherit the title. Shortly after the title upgrade was announced, Ed and Sophie made an appearance in Edinburgh:
Prince Edward and Sophie are in the city of their new titles. A few hours after Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles had given his younger brother a 59th birthday present by conferring the title of Duke of Edinburgh on him, Prince Edward and Sophie appeared at an official event in the city.
Prince Edward’s wife, Sophie, is now the Duchess of Edinburgh — a title last held by her mother-in-law, the late Queen Elizabeth. The couple’s 15-year-old son, James, now holds Edward’s previous title of Earl of Wessex.
They met with members of the Ukrainian community at Edinburgh’s City Chambers to mark one year since the city’s formal response to the invasion of Ukraine. During the reception, Prince Edward and Sophie met members of the Ukrainian and Eastern European diaspora in Edinburgh, including families who have made the city their home since the beginning of the conflict last year.
In a speech, Prince Edward said, “Thank you very much indeed for welcoming us to Edinburgh today on, indeed, a very special and slightly overwhelming day.” He then referred to Sophie as “my wife and Duchess,” prompting laughs from the crowd. “But I also want to express my thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to make our Ukraine friends feel so very welcome,” he added.
It was smart to immediately show up in Edinburgh right after the announcement, and it was smart to tie the appearance to Ukraine and refugees. I imagine that’s why Sophie wore this blue dress too – while it’s terrible, it’s “Ukrainian blue,” so she’s basically flag-dressing (Scotland’s flag is also blue & white). But all of that didn’t stop the criticism, which should show you that post-QEII, people are a lot more comfortable criticizing the monarchy openly and on the record. Of course, it helps that many Scottish people are sick to death of the Windsors using Scotland like “tartan Disneyland.” From the Scotsman:
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard said the appointment was emblematic of the monarchy’s “obsession with feudal patronage”.
“The fact that these titles and positions are determined by accident of birth and forever the preserve of just one family is completely at odds with modern democratic values,” he said. “In Scandinavian countries, monarchies have gone out of their way to slim down by stripping lesser royals of their hereditary titles. Not here. In the UK, there seems no end to their obsession with feudal patronage.”
Tristan Gray, the convener of Our Republic – a campaign group calling for an end to the monarchy in Scotland – told The National that the appointment of Prince Edward as Duke of Edinburgh was “an insult” to the residents of the capital city. He said: “I think it’s an insult to the people who call Edinburgh home that their city can be passed around as a trinket to be given to people as a birthday present, just so Edward can put it up on his wall in his Surrey mansion, as if he has any connection to the city whatsoever.
“The people of Edinburgh have legitimate democratic representation. They vote for it in their council elections, we had a by-election this week. They’ve got parliamentary representation, both in the Scottish Parliament and at Westminster. Those people are elected by and accountable to the people of Edinburgh. They are the legitimate representatives of the people who call the city home. And to have them undermined by the granting of this title – and the gifting of it as a birthday present – to distant aristocrats is an insult both to the people of Edinburgh themselves and to the very concept of the legitimate representation of those people.”
Then at the end of the story, The Scotsman mentions that Edward dropped out of the Marines and yet still gets to wear a big fancy uniform. That’s what this title upgrade is seen as – playing dress up in a uniform he didn’t earn and a title for a city for which he has no connection. These dudes are right, it is feudal and out-of-touch.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in the City Chambers in Edinburgh during an event to mark one year since the city’s formal response to the invasion of Ukraine. Picture date: Friday March 10, 2023. King Charles III has handed his late father’s title the Duke of Edinburgh to his brother Prince Edward, honouring the late Queen and Philip’s wishes. Charles conferred the title on the former Earl of Wessex in celebration of his 59th birthday.,Image: 761890951, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
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- The new Duke of Edinburgh in the City Chambers in Edinburgh during an event to mark one year since the city’s formal response to the invasion of Ukraine. Picture date: Friday March 10, 2023. King Charles III has handed his late father’s title the Duke of Edinburgh to his brother Prince Edward, honouring the late Queen and Philip’s wishes. Charles conferred the title on the former Earl of Wessex in celebration of his 59th birthday.,Image: 761890986, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
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- The new Duke of Edinburgh speaking in the City Chambers in Edinburgh during an event to mark one year since the city’s formal response to the invasion of Ukraine. Picture date: Friday March 10, 2023. King Charles III has handed his late father’s title the Duke of Edinburgh to his brother Prince Edward, honouring the late Queen and Philip’s wishes. Charles conferred the title on the former Earl of Wessex in celebration of his 59th birthday.,Image: 761891256, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
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- The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in the City Chambers in Edinburgh during an event to mark one year since the city’s formal response to the invasion of Ukraine. Picture date: Friday March 10, 2023. King Charles III has handed his late father’s title the Duke of Edinburgh to his brother Prince Edward, honouring the late Queen and Philip’s wishes. Charles conferred the title on the former Earl of Wessex in celebration of his 59th birthday.,Image: 761891277, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
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- The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in the City Chambers in Edinburgh during an event to mark one year since the city’s formal response to the invasion of Ukraine. Picture date: Friday March 10, 2023. King Charles III has handed his late father’s title the Duke of Edinburgh to his brother Prince Edward, honouring the late Queen and Philip’s wishes. Charles conferred the title on the former Earl of Wessex in celebration of his 59th birthday.,Image: 761891316, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
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- The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in the City Chambers in Edinburgh during an event to mark one year since the city’s formal response to the invasion of Ukraine. Picture date: Friday March 10, 2023. King Charles III has handed his late father’s title the Duke of Edinburgh to his brother Prince Edward, honouring the late Queen and Philip’s wishes. Charles conferred the title on the former Earl of Wessex in celebration of his 59th birthday.,Image: 761891330, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
More and more people in Scotland and elsewhere in GB are absolutely over all this monarchy crap. Good for them! Also, Edward may be the poster child for Windsor men aging badly. In this case, very badly.
BRASSY REBEL, And the first thing that the papers reported was Sophie saying to someone “thank god I don’t have to curtsey to meghan now” she doesn’t seem to realise that she IS NOT as important as she thinks. SHE will get the shock of her life when she realises that Harry and Megan’s children are WAY above her husband on the list of Royals, and wouldn’t it be pay back if Harry saw her bitchty Comment and said, but YOU WILL curtsey to me and my children
If she said this it is showing how rude and snobbish she really is.
When did she ever curtsey to Meghan? If that had happened, you know the tabloids would have been all over it.
@Tessa she definitely is that rude. remember what she said the the Royal Variety performer, a volunteer for charity? ‘Well, don’t give up your day job.’ Pardon? ‘Well, you know, I could tell, you know, it’s not what you do.’
But both Sophie and Kate still have to curtsy to the York sisters. Poor Soph, her star is only going to fall from here.
Compare photos of Edders from April 2022 (Caribbean Flop Tour, Getty Images) and these most recent ones. He has dropped an excessive amount of weight and looks like he aged 20 years in a year.
“Tell me you’ve had Covid without telling me you’ve had Covid” is what these photos are all giving me.
He definitely looks like he’s been ill. I’ve been thinking he hasn’t bought a suit in 30 years–which still may be the case, but he definitely looks like there’s some issue.
That rabit-teeth freak really looks decrepit. I bet this is God’s payback for him daring to tell a black gentleman doing his job to step away from the Queen, as if his skin color was going to defile her.
I cannot forget nor forgive. So as far as I’m concerned, he can shove up his new title. Him getting it will just comfort the Scots in their longing for independence.
@Sugarhere l remember that incident, that rabbit teeth was very rude to that gentleman, l hate him for that.
Yes, he does look ill.
I think he has lost a lot of weight, he suits look two sizes too big.
He is resembling his maternal grandfather when he was I’ll.
It does appear that the upkeep of Bageshot which is huge is a millstone around his neck, Edward and Sophie have been known to have struggled with its upkeep.
Only now she is a working royal does Sophie appear to be getting new frocks to wear.
Edward is an odd fellow in some ways and resists shaking hands, this could be to protect his health. He is said to be arrogant and pompous like his siblings.
We shall see how they get along.
PrincessK, Sophie’s been wearing designer for years. She’s also been a working royal for years, ever since the sh!tshow of both their businesses failing and being put full-time on the royal dole.
Yeah. He’s aged bad and does look worse lately. Maybe he’s seriously ill. It’s sad because he actually was really cute when he was young (I’m close to his age). Unfortunately there’s a family resemblance to Harry. Look at photos when they were both young. Meghan can look forward to Harry aging like a Windsor.
Indeed! Edward was strikingly handsome as a very young man. Then perhaps every hateful thought took a toll, and it finally added up.
My bet is that Harry will age like a Spencer. Also, maybe every GOOD thought and deed will add up. Let’s check back in here in a few decades? We can see which guess came the closest. Lol.
I recently saw a short clip of him when he was young and was surprised by how good-looking he was then. A lot of it was the hair, and just plain youth, but he was quite cute.
Harry might age like a Windsor but he has enough of his mother’s family in him that he might escape it. He’s living in sunny CA now and you just KNOW Meghan is telling him to moisturize.
Blithe, Edward is the only one we’ve seen be openly welcoming to Harry and Meghan at recent events. His wife Sophie was pulling her meangirl sh!t, while Edward was smiling and chatting with Harry and Meghan.
It is a slap in the face to people of Edinburgh and overall Scotland to just give away their titles to English royals.
It is an utter slap and scam for Edinburgh. They do not reside in Edinburgh so what use are Edward and Sophiesta?? Maybe they have proper bra shops in Edinburgh while she is there.
Chucky’s action has probably sped up the pace of Scotland being a Republic!! How wonderful for them all.
Hopefully Wales isn’t far behind either.
I can’t imagine myself just walking around, minding my business, when all of a sudden, some wanker shows up and tells me his dad or brother told him he gets to represent me for as long as he lives and show up to places saying he’s Duke of Me and get awards and presents and meet with world leaders on my behalf. I don’t know you. Like, F off with all of it.
👆 💯
Seriously 😂
If you’re the OG colonizer, it’s not hard to imagine.
ThatsnotOkay,
OMG! Exactly.
No one in the BRF has ever worked or earned a days pay in their entire lives.
Stand about acting as if they are better than the rest of us.
What complete and utter BS.
Dear Ireland, Scotlands and Wales,
Please overthrow this entire big eared, bad teeth, icky, snobby, useless family.
Elect your own government, a reasonable well-trained golden retriever can do a better job than KingTampon and Raging William.
Golden retrievers are pretty live and let live, they can and will share treats with others.
KingTampon and W do not.
Bra and shape wear ASAP
Oh ffs – she’s a perfectly normal-looking woman in her 50s, and you want to ignore the whole point of the post to do some random body-shaming?
You do realize this site is called CeleBITCHY?? Everytime I see a pic of Sophie & Camilla I think “Why don’t they wear a decent bra?” I’m 63 & would never go out looking so dowdy.
these are the comments I (also) come here for. All tea. All shade.
NjGr, it’s not body shaming. It’s bra shaming. She needs a decent support bra.
It looks like Sophie has a pretty shape, though it’s hard to see with all the fabric. The neckline does her bust no favors–she needs to show a little more skin than the crew neck she has on.
The color looks pretty on her.
Yup… busty woman of a certain age here and can confirm that a crew neck generally does you no favors. Still wear them sometimes, though….
It’s a terrible dress that pulls the eye right to the torso, which also happens to be too tight-fitting. I can’t imagine this dress looking good on anyone.
Agree, it’s just a terrible dress, for Sophie or any other woman. Those sleeves aren’t even sleeves, but sort of truncated cape-sleeves. The dress would have been much better sleeveless. And maybe in a size larger.
No. “Shapewear” is just a modern day girdle. She has problems far greater than being a middle aged woman.
Yes please oh please give this woman a good bra fitting.
What is wrong with the natural shape of women’s breasts that are not moulded by the shape of a bra.
I have heard of people sleeping with their bras on??
Natural breasts should be triangular in shape, especially if they have fed babies.
I have never, ever thought of describing any breasts as “triangular.” What do you mean?
@jenna. Hanging down like triangles.
I saw photos of Sophie at the Commonwealth Service today and thought why can she not get a better bra and better fitting clothing? What she is wearing probably is expensive. If you are going to spend that kind of money you should look like a million dollars.
Oh so to look like a million dollars your boobs need to shoot out like torpedoes?
Edward had the biggest glow down of the century. He used to be sort of good looking now he just looks like a skinned rat.
OMG yes, he looks like the human version of Ratatouille
I concur… he is extremely thin now compared to just a few years ago, and the thinness makes him look frail and old. I would place him at 70, not 59.
IMO he looks…unwell? Almost gaunt?
He’s in competition with Margaret and William, both were gorgeous for about a millisecond before the Windsor genes kicked in.
Anne wasn’t bad looking at one point but it seems she spends a lot of time outdoors and can’t be bothered with face creams or hair conditioners.
He reverse Longbottom’d big time.
Ha! I’ve never heard that one. Perfect.
He got Winsored.
Is Edward ok? He looks like he has shrunk? It looks worse combined with the 1940s look suit jacket.
It looks like he lost significant weight since his dad died
I used to wonder if he is wearing his father’s hand me down’s, l would not be surprised.
I agree. He’s swimming in that suit. I wonder if he’s ill and that’s why Charles gave in.
@snuffles that was my thought also. He has lost a significant amount of weight. He is actually looking frail.
I have been wondering, if Scotland becomes a republic what happens to this title?
I don’t truly care about the title or Edward but the fact that Sophie or someone else in the family is using this elevation to brief the press to malign and bash Meghan in every tabloid over there makes me sick. They just can’t be happy and gracious they always have to make sure someone else gets publicly punished and that makes this entire system so sick and twisted.
He looks like a man in his seventies instead of only 59. He definitely doesn’t look well.
Yikes. But I can’t believe, Sophie who is 17 YEARS OLDER than Keen of Wails look -dare I say- younger than Keen?! I am genuinely surprised and horrified. I mean yes Sophie looks matronly but her face is significantly younger than Keen!!
I agree. Sophie has terrible style but is actually a very pretty woman.
Agree on this, Sophie is a witchy mean girl, but she has been kinder to her face and skin and is aging much more gracefully…minus the dreadful foundation wear. Mind you at least she wears underwear 👀
Edward does not look ok in these pictures. I have a feeling he might be sick and that’s why he was given the title ( for the duration of his life). Maybe they know it won’t be a long life? Sophie is looking at him with tenderness in these pictures like she knows something.
Just a feeling, hopefully im wrong. I don’t like them but definitely wish them well.
I’ve got the exact same feeling….
I’m torn between him being ill or him having actual human feelings where he has been grieving the loss of his mother combined with genuine stress about having to live out the rest of his days under Camilla’s or Burger King’s thumb. Since he and Sophie were not in the position to grab any of the goodies once Betty bopped off, he hasn’t experienced any of the upswing that the Keens did from the Queen’s death.
HARPER, this ☝️although my biggest gripe with Edward is when he wanders around in a uniform sporting medals he never bloody earned. He couldn’t even finish basic! Yet Harry isn’t allowed to wear the uniform he earned and served in
Edward just maybe devastated at the lost of his parents. Remember, he is the baby of the family. He was probably doted on and spoiled by his parents. I am the baby of the family and I was extremely sad when my father died. I just couldn’t deal. I still have my dad’s phone in my cell phone even though he died 3 years ago. Edward might have some resentment that his kids didn’t get to spend amount of time with their grandparents due to them dying(I will admit I feel this way sometimes because my nieces and nephew are so much older than my kids. I do feel guilty later but it does happen). I hope he’s not sick but I totally understand his grief. I am not saying older siblings don’t grieve their parents as well but there’s alot of things my siblings got to experience with my father that I will not. My dad went all his grandkids’ high school and college graduations however he will not be at my kids high school graduation or their college graduation. Little things like means alot.
Grim theoretical: If Edward dies before Sophie and before his children are grown, will they be left with anything? I suppose he could have inherited from his parents but who knows how much. And would Charles continue his assholery and kick Sophie and the kids out of their home?
I was wondering why there are now articles popping up essentially saying Edward is “bewildered” that Charles has not shared his $778m inheritance with his siblings…
In order to avoid inheritance tax, most of the funds pass through from monarch to monarch, so Charles is in control of basically everything that the queen didn’t hand out prior to her death. So Edward and the others are at the mercy of Charles and then after that William. They all should be concerned.
And Harry stepping out when he did to be financially independent is the smartest decision he ever made because Charles can’t control him that way. And we know William would not be any better.
What will Sophie’s title be if Edward dies and DOE reverts to the crown?
I’ve always thought that’s why Sophie sucks up to Will and Kate. She’s got a long time to need to be housed, fed, clothed, security provided for-she knows where her bread is buttered.
I also concur that Edward does not look well-and has not over the last few years. He definitely has lost a lot of weight.
Nic919, QEII was incredibly parsimonious and me me me when it came to wealth. That written, I think she gave her three younger children some inheritance while they were alive in order to avoid taxes. Bought Anne’s house. Paid for the building of Sunninghill Park. Paid Andrew’s part of the Royal Lodge/ Crown Estate fix up costs and lease. Ditto the Edward and Bagshot fix up costs and lease.
Trouble is, she didn’t realize how awful Charles is. He’s acting out his childhood rage about Andrew being Mummy’s fav and Edward being Papa’s fav.
QEII expected Charles to keep Andrew and Edward on as working royals their entire lives. As she’s done for Alexandra, Duke of Kent, and secretly Prince Michael of Kent. That would have covered the upkeep and staff costs for RL and Bagshot the rest of their lives.
She didn’t leave them enough to cover those costs themselves, because she expected Charles to foist those costs off on the taxpayers. The idea that Charles would keep all the SG funding for himself didn’t occur to her.
@Lizzie I think she would be the Dowager Countess of Wessex.
@lizzie, that is a really good question! Normally, she would be referred to as The Dowager Duchess of Edinburgh; however, because the title would revert to the crown I’m not so sure. I’m thinking because Edward’s title will have been, essentially, extinguished in him that she will not hold any type of Duchess title anymore. Perhaps she will be known as the Mother of the Earl of Wessex?! 😆
@Linda, that was my first thought when I read that Charles had given him the title.
Can someone explain to me why James won’t inherit the title? (Actually, whatever, it’s probably some arcane and complicated rule, and this is all utter nonsense in the first place, so what does it matter)
ETA @Linda, I thought it was Andrew who was “bewildered?” They probably all are. I was so infuriated at the fact that it was all tax exempt since it passed from monarch to monarch. Absolute bullshit
@Snuffles, if Edward does predecease Sophie anytime soon, it would be an incredibly bad look for Charles to not take care of her and the kids. But almost everything he does looks (and is) bad, so idk.
James won’t inherit the title because Charles decided he didn’t want James to inherit the title.
Prior to this all royal dukedoms (and Edwards Earldom) have been issued as hereditary titles.
Because BULLYAM wants it for Louis
Yeah, he only has the dukedom for life because that is what Charles wanted. Although I believe the whole system of royalty and aristocracy is a lot of archaic nonsense, I do think in this case it’s a good idea to have given Edward the dukedom for his lifetime only, because James is not going to be a working royal and someone who is not a working royal has no need to be any sort of duke much less one holding a title that is associated with top royals. The earldom is hereditary though so James will be an earl and, provided he produces male heirs, that title will be passed down through the family. Of course this raises the issue of why it is only males who get those gongs, but that’s an issue for another day… or century.
@Linda. I agree Edward does not look well. The weight lost is like the elephant in the room no one is talking about. Someone’s health or medical issues should be private but why is the British press not demanding to know, he’s taxpayer funded after all.
That was my first thought when he was given the title. I really wonder if he has a serious illness. He hasn’t been looking so good for a while and this suit is hanging off of him.
If Charles really believed in a slimmed down monarchy he would have retired everybody after the Cambridges. Sophie’s is terrible and terribly expensive. Roksanda is not cheap
The problem charles has is that Sophie and Edward work almost three times as much as the lazy Wales.
Yes they do the bread-and-butter things W&K refuse to do. Even poor Duke of Kent, a fairly frail cancer survivor, does nearly the number of engagements as Kate.
The Duke of Kent is almost 90 years old (!) and does almost as many engagements as the 41-year-old Princess of Wales? How is Kate not absolutely mortified by this?
With the new fancy title comes a new spotlight. Their PR is already in overdrive this weekend. We’ll see how certain jealous members handle that.
I agree with others, these pictures…Edward looks…not great.
My goodness. I never noticed how unattractive Edward is.
Those Windsor genes are terrible I tell ya. He used to be good looking when he was younger.
IMO he was adorable from 3-5 years old. After that is has been downhill.
@Nota lmfao
Sad but true. Edward was really cute at 3, 4, 5. That’s about it. Teenage years and early twenties? Well, he was better looking than his brothers when they were similar ages, but it was in a ‘good looking for a Windsor’ sort of way.
I just saw a picture of him at 23yo. Check him out, you will be surprised.
Edward in his youth gave William at that age a run for his money as far as I’m concerned.
Just googled. Holy shit, the Windsor genes age at a disproportionately accelerated rate. He. Was. Hot.?
Maybe that is the price you pay for being a Windsor 🤷🏻♀️
Harry’s the only one whose gotten better with age.
I don’t know about this. To me, Edward is a normal-looking, not-handsome man, like 99.9% of the planet. Andrew, with his bloated, dissipated face and beady, acquisitive eyes – and Charles with his sagging Eeyore face – they are unattractive. But maybe that’s because I know more about their behavior than I do about Edward’s.
I agree. I don’t think Edward is as physically unattractive as Andrew or Charles, just bald. If he had hair he would look OK. Not handsome, but OK. And I don’t think he looks ill, either, just like he’s lost weight, and that could have been intentional. He might have gone on a health and exercise kick. His eyes look bright and he doesn’t look generally unwell to me. I am no expert though and could, of course, be wrong, but I hope I’m not.
He looks like a typical middle aged Englishman to me. Yeah he could use moisturizer and a facial but wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a line up and he’s not ugly. Both he and a Sophie look like they were left on the shelf a bit too long. He just goes along to get along, while she’s so bitter and resentful of a certain Duchess that she seems like she’s trying to play catch up with a depleted tool box.
Sofestive got an upgrade to a Ford Escort now.
Sophie and Edward keep benefiting from the Palace anti-Sussexes moves. Their roles have been elevated when the Sussexes stepped back from royal duties. Let them enjoy their second wind.
No lies detected. The SNP rep is right.
Actually I like Sophie’s dress.
I like Sophie’s dress too although the length is really odd, almost formal. It needs to be below the knee or six inches shorter but not at the ankle.
@pink, I totally agree. That ankle length in a formal stiff dress is not a flattering look on ANYONE. That length only works in a very wispy, more casual, type of dress with flats or mid heels. Whoever dresses Sophie is not doing her any favors at all.
I think the proportions are off. I think the top is fine-but it’s so much material that the bottom part of the dress should be more fitted, straight and mid calf length.
Or if the fabric was less stiff? I get these are statement sleeves, but she looks like she’d take out a door frame if she brushed it on the way out.
That dress is awful. The sleeves are terrible and too puffy, making her arms look huge, the length is too long and she really needs to upgrade the foundations or wear a more flattering neckline. The word blousy comes to kind. Also the color is very Gilead wife in Handmaid’s Tale. Don’t get me started on the cheap shoes and stringy hair. I find this woman completely loathsome and stupid, find nothing remotely likable about her. Not even gonna pretend. Rude and snobbish but incredibly clunky and pedestrian. Windsor grade mean and boring.
The dress is appalling in all ways, but Sophie has never given the impression of having any dress sense or style. She wore flying saucers stuck to the side of her head long after the rest of the family had assigned them to the bin. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing though and I prefer a slack attitude to one’s appearance to being overly-concerned about how one looks on the outside. Not sure about how she is on the inside because I have never paid enough attention to her to find out.
One of her best looks in recent years was her 50th birthday photo shoot at Bagshot. The sky blue dress. Simple, elegant, well-fitting.
I agree with comments upthread: Edward looks frail.
I attributed his looks to Windsor men aging badly (because they do), but looking more closely I see what others are seeing, that he could be ill. Given the total lack of transparency by this family, he could have cancer, and we’d never know till he died. He resembles his maternal grandfather, George VI who, ironically, died young of cancer.
It’s not even just the weight loss, it’s his palor, too — he looks so pale and just overall sickly.
George VI died of lung cancer, which is not genetic since he was a heavy smoker.
That said, I do think Edward has a frail look that he didn’t have a few years ago and it’s not just losing hair. Let’s hope he is getting treatment and he is on the road to recovery.
But knowing how cruel Charles can be, I suspect the lifetime grant of the title tells us the real story.
@Nic, the whole thing is weird — instead of just doing it right after the Queen died, he waits until his *birthday*? And it isn’t even a milestone birthday. It does make me think that Charles knows he won’t hold the title for long, so he threw him a bone and used the birthday as an excuse for the delay. Royals never tie things like this to birthdays, so this reeks of Chuck scrambling to find a way to give it to Edward, and fast, and try to make the timing make some sense and this was the best they could come up with.
‘In Scandinavian countries, monarchies have gone out of their way to slim down by stripping lesser royals of their hereditary titles. ‘
He’s not really paying attention. He may be referencing the recent Danish debacle, but it isn’t like QMII has stripped everyone. She’s created titles out of thin air and hasn’t stripped titles from all of Joachim’s children or the three younger Fred&Mary kids. None of those three will be working royals, their HRHs and prince/princess titles should be stripped too if she’s really going to do the job of slimming down.
Sweden? Again, he gave them all multiple titles at birth. He removed the HRH part a few years ago, but the other extraneous titles remain. That’s what gives ‘poor robbed CP’ and his son access to the one Duchy with a financial benefit, because the rental agreement states he has to be a ‘prince of the realm’.
Norway? Martha Louise gave up the ‘royal’ part years before her marriage, her children aren’t titled. But Haakon & Mette-Marit’s son Magnus still has an ‘HH’ and prince title.
Just saying, he needs to get his facts straight if he wants to have an effective argument.
Clarifying, M-L gave up the ‘royal’ in HRH but remains ‘her highness’ and did not give up her ‘princess’ title.
In my opinion, the only royal family that has gotten it right is the Dutch Royal Family. Apart from King Willem-Alexander’s children, none of his brother’s children carry the title of Prince/Princess, and they are all Count/Countess from birth, nor are they HRH or part of the Royal House.
In the Dutch royal family, they are raised from birth to know they have to earn a living. Why give any of rest of them titles at all? If they’d really wanted to address it? They would have only given a title *of any kind* to the first born child of Wax&Max.
@Elisabeth the only royal family? In Norway, only the heir’s (CP Hakon) children have titles, his sisters children have non. The same goes for the kings sisters. No one of their children have titles, neither prince/princess or count/countess. On their web page the second born of the CP is listed as prince, but not HRH
George was a heavy smoker which caused the cancer. I don’t think Edward smokes. Could Edward have had covid
The tendency to cancer is definitely genetic. And there are many types of cancer that have no known connection to smoking. Anyway, I wasn’t necessarily saying that because George VI died of cancer, Edward might too. Thus, the use of the word “ironically”.
George smoked a lot so did his daughter Margaret which caused their early deaths. George had l u n g cancer.
BRASSY REBEL, your right, my lovely late father had lung cancer, as did my step brother his eldest son. My late mother had a fungating breast cancer and mine is in the descending colon. So there are several different cancers in my family
@Mary Pester, I am sorry to hear of your cancer. Hope you have a complete recovery. 🙏
Mary Pester I am so sorry for your cancer diagnosis. I hope you have a full recovery.
Non-smokers can and do get lung cancer.
@Mary Pester: so sorry for your family’s losses. Wishing you all the best from halfway around the world.
There is some negativity on Twitter about Louise not getting a new title.
Mary Pester, I’ve been enjoying your comments, and upset that you are having to carry this cross. Please take care of yourself and keep up the comments from England.
@teras, BRASSY REBEL and other kind wishers, thank you my lovies, not something I’m going to recover from I’m afraid, but, I’ve had a good career and life so I can’t complain, some poor little ones don’t even get that. I can and will keep up my comments from this side of the pond for as long as I can. The Royal ratbags and mean girls aren’t getting of that easily 😉
Louise has been a princess from birth, just as Lili and Archie have been princess and prince since their grandfather became monarch. Her parents have publicly stated their wish that she be styled Lady Louise and make her own choice once she reached 18 years old to use the princess title. She’s 18 now, and I’m not hearing any credible rumours she’s being pressured not to or blocked. Charles camp isn’t strategically leaking anything questioning her legitimacy as a princess. I would assume she continues to choose not to. Maybe she never will, or maybe she’ll take a leaf from the Sussex book and use an important announcement like attaining her degree to announce herself with her full title.
Whenever I look at photos or videos of Edward at events he seems to be distant, uncomfortable, somewhat awkward like he doesn’t want to be there. I usually have the impression that he would prefer to only socialize with his circle of aristocrats instead of being made to attend these events and ‘work’. Sophie, however, relishes to spotlight and the elevation.
Regarding his style of dress, my take is that he generally wears loose fitting trousers and double-breasted suits like his late father.
He occasionally shows personality around the silliness of his royal job. Remember the cake-and-sword video from a few years ago?
Distant and uncomfortable reminds me of young George doing public events too.
Maybe they are his father’s clothes because l don’t think Edward can afford high quality bespoke tailoring.
isn’t this a critique of aristocracy IN GENERAL? how titles and land and ownership is passed on from the hands of select few to their children and on and on and on. If you’re going to critique this, you better be ready to examine the entire system and call people out as well. I think we can all recognize that the monarchy is obsolete…but when just focusing on the monarchy and not on the entire system, there will be no real progress.
It’s an okay dress but the length of the hem is entirely too long, which makes the sleeves look too long against her arm. It would be a great dress if the hem were just below the knees and the sleeves were just at the elbow or just above the elbow. As usual when she steps outside the box from dressing matronly and dreary, she finds clothes that only almost hit the mark. There is always something that is disproportionate about what she is wearing. It’s either too big, too small, too long, too short or too hideous. It’s never perfectly suited for her. She also has the same weird inability that Kate has with never matching her accessories to each other or the outfit that she is wearing. The green clutch would have made more sense if she had shoes to match, but the beige shoes just throws it all off for some reason. Edward’s weightloss is concerning because it seems like he always wears styles that are already meant to be worn loosely, then you notice the almost teenager size neck in these loosely fitted shirts and it makes him seem sickly. I can’t help but zero in on his neck area and instantly think of Dana Carvey as Turtle(?) and it makes me worry that he’s either grieving to the point of weightloss or he’s ill, either is not good.
I think it’s the sleeves that make that dress look so awful. It should be either full sleeves or full skirt but the combo just looks like a bad bridesmaid dress.
A BM’s dress from the 80s
Oh well done. That’s exactly what it reminds me of. Every bridesmaid at every wedding I attended in the 80’s. I think people are being extremely gracious on this thread. The dress is absolutely hideous in every detail. The sleeves alone should qualify it for being permanently banned from public consumption.
that length is also challenging
I fine the armhole sleeve attachment to be very weird looking on this dress. it just cuts into the bodice shape awkwardly. great colour, though.
I think one problem with Sophie’s dress is that everything draws the eyes down and makes the overall look droopy. She has a nice hourglass figure but this dress hides it and adds on heaviness in places it shouldn’t.
Agree with a very early comment about the title – if Edward doesn’t have a connection with the city and doesn’t represent the Scottish people, it is at the very least insensitive and myopic but probably more an insult.
I don’t like him but I’m going to wish him good health.
I think Edward’s also a worrier–COVID, organic disease, and grief not withstanding. Imagine being at the mercy of a brother like Charles. You’d be upset for your family and where you’d live, and what money you’d get. And what you would have to say. What a life. It’s a wonder that he hasn’t taken to the bottle.
He still has the time to make sure his children are well educated. That should alleviate some worry for their parents. They might miss out on protected digs on royal grounds, though.
Now they can go back to being as invisible and unremarkable as they were before being leased that Edinburgh title.
LOL. Didn’t you hear L4Fmaire, she’s been upgraded from a Fiesta to a Focus. They’re going to be everywhere.
Momma is so thirsty.
He may have long COVID. I don’t wish that on anyone.
I’m on Team Scotland—giving the Edinburgh title as a birthday present is an insult.
Right?!?! “Edward dear here you can have little old Scotland as an afterthought.” SMH
Now I’m curious. Do the Dukes and Duchesses really have ongoing special relationships with their respective duchies? I think Charles did a lot of direct work with projects in Cornwall. Is that the expectation and the norm?
This article has some idea what a slimmed down monarchy be, when considering updates.
It is well thought out article against the late Queen’s wishes and should be used as material in the future.
It is interesting to note how the holders of these titles regard them in terms of self esteem and jocking position.
Simply sickening….
Charles obviously was dragged kicking and screaming to do the right thing and at least give a semblance of respecting a former monarch’s wishes and being a man of his word. Obviously he’s not. He promised that Camilla would never be Queen, and now look at her. But clearly, Charles never had a leg to stand on in the first place. The titles for the Sussex children are their birthright and wives of kings are consorts and nominally Queens. Charles just looks like an incompetent petty twit. It would be lovely to see even a glimmer of grace, generosity, magnanimity or nobility in his character, but those qualities have never been requirements of kingship and are the stuff of fairy tales. Birth order is the only qualification needed.
As you’ve stated or it is the results of a co-reign with the son and/or shared pillow talk with the wife.
Re: Sophie.
I am fine with Sophie’s fashion choices.
She looks like what she is middle aged, bit saggy bosom, bit of a tummy.
Maybe she’s a stress/comfort eater. Me too.
Geez, Edward and Kate are so thin they both look unwell.
I enjoy the fashion on CB.
BUT the BRF are awful, rotten, humans even to each other. Focus on that plus their excessive wealth hoarding. DWTM and especially C&C.
Royals do not have any talent or skill. Their identity is in titles.
She will have the bow to Harry and his children-when necessary.
The RR are so childish. For a while they amused themselves talking about Meghan having to bow to Kate. When the Queen was alive, I thought everyone only bowed or curtsied to her and to Philip only. I don’t think anybody in the family bows to anyone else. Has anyone seen Anne bow to Charles for example? Frankly, I think that curtsying should cease, period. I think bowing is a universal symbol of respect for everyone. I always find a curtsy rather demeaning for women. If Charles were at all capable of living in the 21st century, he could request that a slight bow from everyone as acknowledgement of his position is sufficient.
I’ve thought for some time that E&S don’t spend the fortune on clothes that others do. I think that is why we see Sophie mostly in these matronly dresses. It’s why we see Louise in what looks like her Mother’s’ castoffs. Who pays for the utilities at Bagshot? Food? Non royal clothes? Heat? You get my drift. Are they allocated a specific amount and then they have to make that their income to cover everything? E&S are completely dependent on the Monarch, because they have no other income. Her dress is a dress. I’m not particularly fond of it. She often wears dresses where the material seems to heavy, which just plays into the ‘matronly’ aspect.
They have to be very careful with money as the upkeep of Bageshot is very heavy.
It matters not if Sophie – the Ford Fiesta of the royals – has a shiny new title. She’ll still be a cold, mean beeyotch to Meghan, she’ll stay a foot stool to Pegs and Mumbles, and nothing will improve her hard, homely face.
Duchess or not, Sophie is grasping, boot-licking, no-class trash.
That dress loses her her hourglass figure. I think she is the mother of the child who was gifted the horses and carriage? I can’t imagine what that costs them.