Back in October, royal sources insisted that Prince William and Kate were planning a “Christmas coup” to overshadow King Charles. Those sources claimed that William and Kate would perhaps post some personal photos of their kids in Anmer Hall, celebrating the holiday away from Charles and the Parker-Bowles clan. That didn’t happen over Christmas, but now I wonder if the “Christmas coup” plan morphed into a plan for William to post a personal message on Kate’s birthday. Alongside a brand new birthday portrait of Kate, William wrote: “To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W.” Did it break the internet? No. Was it a coup? Also no. But royalists are still trying to make it sound like William is lovesick and devoted to his wife.
[William’s message] could be no clearer sign of the impact the last year has had on the family, and no simpler insight into the priorities of a Prince and Princess. In years gone by, such sentiments would have been shared privately. Indeed, most of the couple’s birthdays go largely unmarked, other than with a basic short message from the Royal family’s social media page. However, just as their lives have changed in the face of serious illness, so has their communication.
On Thursday, the Wales family have no public engagements. Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are at school, with time for a birthday breakfast, tea party and the daily dog walk for William and Catherine in between. Since her last birthday, the Princess has endured major abdominal surgery, a cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy, and is building her way back gradually to a full life and public work again. As of now, the Prince’s pride in her is spelt out for all to see.
The royal stiff upper lip – or what small part of it had survived – is over for good.
The Prince of Wales’s message accompanied a new photograph of the Princess, taken by Matt Porteous – who has worked with the family numerous times before – in Windsor over the summer. At the time, the Princess had not yet announced that she had finally finished her chemotherapy, and was doing her best to enjoy the school holidays with her young family. The black and white image, which features her distinctive engagement ring prominently, is another unusual choice, following the Princess’s more recent aesthetic of outdoor, countryside photography shoots.
Asked why the Prince had chosen to send a personal message this year, palace sources indicated that the words spoke for themselves. The Princess, they noted, is increasingly choosing to share her “journey” with the public directly, through her video messages and signed letters.
Over the past year, we’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out the big mystery or mysteries of what exactly happened, why official photos were so badly cobbled together, why a princess went missing for months, why the communications offices were beset with clownery, and why it felt like some kind of bargain was struck which saw the Middletons re-enter polite society after their shameful financial catastrophe. I still don’t have the answers to most of those mysteries, but it’s clear that there’s a new communications strategy at play in the past six months or so, with William suddenly more eager to selectively play the part of family man and loving husband. I still want to know what the hell William and Kate were thinking with that “cancer free” video in September though. And it appears that Kate’s birthday portrait was taken around the same time? Yeah. Mysteries abound.
Photos courtesy of Kensington Palace, Cover Images, Matt Porteous for KP.
-
- Handout photo provided by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales with the Prince of Wales and Princess Charlotte. The Princess of Wales said she has finished chemotherapy and is “looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months” Featuring: William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte Where: London, United Kingdom When: 09 Sep 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- Handout photo provided by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales with the Prince of Wales. The Princess of Wales said she has finished chemotherapy and is “looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months” Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales, William, Prince of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 09 Sep 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Such grand meaningless proclamations
It beggars belief because there are so many public photos of Kate and William looking annoyed , upset and grim with each other.
I like this bit – “The black and white image, which features her distinctive engagement ring prominently, is another unusual choice…”
A snarky way to describe the photo, but also Kate’s way of reminding people/William that she’s still got the ring, no matter what.
Wow!! She really must have something on him and he is doing his level best to make sure she keeps it quiet.
Something to do with that big facial scar she acquired last year maybe?
The funniest proclamation to me was when they said that on Thursday the Wales family have no public engagements. Like no shit they don’t😂😂😂. They haven’t done a public engagement in weeks so them happening not to have any on Thursday is hilarious. No shit Sherlock. It would be more surprising if they did have something on.
The message is to distract from the fact that they are doing far less than the not much they used to do. So people will ooh and aah over how great they are without effort put in. And Kate is not sharing her journey. There is still no public thanks from her to her medical team, no sharing of diagnosis or treatments to offer hope to others. Just “I was sick and (supposedly) now through with treatment”.
I’m not sure it’s to distract, per se. I think they realize that there are ways to be “seen and believed” without actually mingling with the unwashed masses, in this world where people think they know the influencers they follow on social media. And they are shifting to that method of engagement. Which may be out of laziness, but successful influencers will tell you it’s actually a lot of work to create and keep those connections. So either they will actually DO that different type of work, or they will see the consequences of being blasé about their place of privilege in the UK.
Trouble is all they are influencing for is themselves and their justification for being is supposedly driving tourism and business and diplomacy for the UK. Those state dinners can’t be phoned in.
But that was true of all the standard Royal handshaking events that are normally counted as “work” also. They aren’t *really* doing anything but generating good will for the royal family. That’s why Meghan’s projects (cookbook, work clothing collab) were so cool— there was good publicity for the RF but also actual benefits to struggling citizens. And yes, there are certain head of state jobs that need to be attended live by the crown or a delegate. But all those garden parties and ribbon cuttings may be seen as unnecessary in this decade.
@Meredith you’re absolutely right – generally speaking, most of the royal family’s work is centered around generating good will for the royal family.
but that became their “work” because they needed to justify their existence and their large amount of funding – both from the civil list (now the sovereign grant) and the duchies of lancaster and cornwall. And of course they get other benefits that they try to pretend they dont – police security outside of the RPOs (think of when the streets are closed for an event etc), tax benefits, the ability to exclude themselves from legislation etc.
Public service was supposed to be how they justified that. So if we’re seeing the Wales pivot to being more of influencers or just social media royals – I have to think eventually that’s going to start a conversation about their funding. Maybe not right away, but eventually. Kate doesn’t need a hundred coatdresses if she’s not doing public engagements where she wears them.
But can she justify a new outfit for a video she produced and curated that will be released on their insta? Bc that’s what they’re saying they’ll do more of in the future. Guess it depends on if the public is good with that type of seeing to be believed on Instagram rather than in person.
Plus the DM articles rehashing their university days where they fell in luuuurve….the second honeymoon storyline…and on and on.
Whatever Kate has on William it must be a doozy…
That she’s willing to use that doozy to be crowned queen suggests that WanK’s love story was never the fairytale they’re desperately trying to portray it as.
That’s the thing that ultimately has me scratching my head. If you have to force your husband to stay married to you, because of something he did or something you know about him or whatever – especially if you’re in the public eye the way they are – would you want that? Who would want to be in that kind of forced marriage on either end?
A hundred, two hundred years ago, heck even with QEII and Phillip – it made more sense for people to stay in marriages for reasons besides love – because it was easier to hide separate living arrangements, and there was less of an expectation that you DID marry for love. But now? They’ve sold us this great love story and its clear they can’t stand each other in public.
Its sad to me that the crown is really worth that much to Kate.
It never was. He basically had to marry his stalker. “The college sweethearts” is bull, especially when his personal protection officers called her “The Mattress.”
I don’t know what is going on behind the scenes but I think it’s pretty clear a decision has been made by someone to present the Wales’ as a loving and devoted couple to the public (at least for now).
How voluntary that is for William and how it ties in with Kate barely working (did William insist he would only go along with it if he barely had to see her?) is another question.
He can’t stand her. He is getting much better at hiding it.. Wanta talk about being a hostage……
These two are so annoying and lazy. William is so not devoted to her. The university days were based on plots and schemes by Kate and her mother to e in over william.
Edit to win over willia.
I’ll just say that sussexroyal is the blueprint and when Harry and Meghan were posting personal messages on Instagram to each other on their birthdays the press didn’t receive it in the same way that they are now. They said it was unroyal and too American. What’s changed now?
Kate is white.
The new communications strategy is to ramp up their one-sided competition with, and continue to attempt to copy the Montecito royals’ communication style. As someone commented yesterday, M is back on Instagram, so someone at Kensington Palace felt the need to be as effusive/emotive as possible instead of simply posting the usual basic “Happy Birthday” message, particularly after M posted about Guy’s passing and it was picked up worldwide. It didn’t work – and you can tell that it bothered them: Kate didn’t get worldwide headlines for her birthday, and only around two had that weird photo on the front page (most focussed on President Carter’s funeral or other more important matters), so they made sure to get other papers to put even bigger versions of the photo on the front page on the following day as well (today). Still a damp squib, but it will doubtless feed some hungry royal reporters as they can wax lyrical about the true love between the estranged duo, based on a twitter message which was crafted by Kate’s mother or William’s IT staff.
There is only one picture of huevo visiting her in the hospital. He still looks like he can’t stand her when they are on appearances. She probably craves attention where she is applauded and center of attention.
Interesting how a fuss is made over the walking of the dog by the keens after the sussexes were shown with their dogs
Oh my gosh Tessa – well spotted!
Thank you! I’d noticed the repetition and half wondered if it was being added in as another ‘school run’ in the list of reasons why she’s far too busy to do the ‘work’ she’s paid millions for.
This makes a lot more sense.
It really looks like they are trying too too hard. The pictures together look “forced” and William does look like he is struggling to look happy and content …. Relaxed , in the photos. Kate does a better job. The look very uncomfortable with each other in general.
William looks like he’s gritting his teeth in that shampoo commercial. She goes in for pda while he looks uncomfortable.
You’re right. Their promos of the past 9 months mark a distinctive shift in their image-making, and I don’t like it. I’m more ambivalent to W&K (or at least K) than most here, but this messaging campaign rubs me the wrong way. They’re not “normal”, they are the 1% of the 1%, they have access (help rule) a world of power we cannot fathom, and watching them play-act puppy love strikes me as grotesque, tone-deaf, and cringe-y to watch.
Diana (I’m also not a big fan) went about with the people but never pretended she was “normal.” W&K’s “happy suburban couple in love” schtick is a cheesy, pathetic farce. If they’re going to be monstrous elites about whom no one is entitled to ask questions, then they should shut up and act like it. But at least stop this childish “we’re just like you except also you are not entitled to know a single thing about the actual lifestyle we lead that you pay for.” It’s insulting.
Huh, from the British “stiff upper lip” to the American “share her journey.” How did that happen?
It would have been awesome if Kate had actually shared her journey, but she’s pretty much done the opposite – just repeating “I’m focusing on myself and my family” and “Don’t expect me to work” isn’t sharing anything.
Seems to be something the Middletons failed to pass along to their eldest, how to share.
Good point. Saying you’re sharing your journey does not mean that a journey was actually shared. In fact, there’s been a whole heck of lot of obscuring this past year from KP. Putting out propaganda around the idea of sharing a journey is laughable and it’s bc they very much have not been sharing. Which fine. The issue is the lying, really. Anyways, @eurydice, your meerkat comment yesterday took me out. I like meerkats! Kate looked fine, lovely. She didn’t look bad. But now all I can see are the meerkat hands.
So Kate is ”incredible”.
What a strange choice for making a compliment — as it could mean ”can’t be believed” or “not credible” too.
It’s not like ”wonderful” or ”exceptional” were available to him. The message lacks warmth, caring.
Still don’t get why they used that awful pic. It’s so impersonal.
It’s like those old commercials where the husband says how incredible his wife is for using a particular dishwashing liquid so dishes sparkle
Those are just the most awkward pictures. They can’t lie well, and their posing……is just as good as their story-telling. Apparently Kate has never put her hands in her pockets before.
To be fair, the pockets of skinny jeans are not big enough to put your hands (or anything else) into. Looks like she didn’t know what to do with her hands while being keen to show the world that she is wearing big blue again. Very likely just for the photo shoot, but look at me and big blue! I am the happiest of all married women, and more happy than the one in Montecito!
The ring is still unlucky
The pose was all about showing big blue and doesn’t have anything to do with the size of her pockets. The hand with the ring on it isn’t as far into the pocket as the other hand because she’s more focused on showing big blue.
I definitely think William was throwing tantrums and making threats BTS regarding Christmas. As well as briefing the press about potential rival plans. The likelihood is that Camilla is exerting more and more control over the family events and William is furious about it. As for the photo caption. It is William trying once again trying to sound like Harry. Incredible wife is a phrase Harry frequently said. As for the photo itself. It looks like an indoor version of the outdoor “in the woods” photo released last summer. But what stands out to me is that she manage to arrange photos shoots and videos but was supposedly not well enough to make 45 minute meetings with any of her patronages.
Hmm, I think you may be onto something. Same jeans, same hair, Big Blue prominently placed, same overall outfit–white top tucked in, blazer with sleeves pushed up, skin-tight jeans.
I just find it interesting that the few times WandK have been seen together in public and William tries to touch Kate, she shrugs him away. In the past she was almost begging for his attention but now she doesn’t seem to want it, curiouser and curiouser.
A few questions.
~If Matt Porteous was around over the summer for a photo shoot, why couldn’t he take a family picture for the christmas card?
~Kate was supposedly still undergoing chemotherapy at this time or just finished it; too sick to work but well enough for what looks like a very posed photoshoot? (i.e. not just asking a photographer to come over and grab some family snapshots as they play outside or whatever.)
~if William is so proud of her and loves her so much, why does he look like he can’t stand her in public? Why did Charles blank her at the official state ceremony in November?
~Why does it seem like there’s a sense that kate can’t be trusted alone and can’t do engagements?
~Why were the Middletons suddenly welcomed back to major royal events like Ascot when it seemed like they had been pariahs for a while?
The way we know KP has bungled this is that even if we take EVERYTHING we’ve been officially told by KP or Kate and William themselves at face value, it still makes no sense. There are a lot of pieces that don’t fit. For example the frankenphoto – the question that the press isn’t asking is WHY did they need to cobble together a fake picture? we all know it wasnt just touch ups or removing a blemish or whatever. It was completely manufactured. But why?
All that to say – I’m taking this social media message from William in the same light. There’s nothing genuine about it but its part of whatever is going on. Is part of the deal that William has to play the family man in pictures and online and he’s okay with that bc it helps his image, but he can’t fake it in front of cameras at live events?
Excellent questions. I remain baffled by the tmz photo of Carol and Kate in the car, and the pap photo of “Kate” in the car with Will, where she’s looking away from the photographers and was theoretically being driven to an appointment. And the bouncy, farm stand video that the palace basically verified and hasn’t been mentioned again.
I also still don’t understand why they have made “perfect couple” and “perfect family” their main images and branding when it so easily falls apart when they spend time in public. The kids are cute, but the constant blaming them for not being able to work and implying that they’re running themselves ragged while everyone knows they have nannies and home staff remains tone deaf.
I know that at some point, someone will leak, just like the royal racist stuff did. I wonder if Harry’s lawsuit will be what breaks the dam.
I believe this photo was done at the same session as the one where she posed under the tree. So she was on her own with no kids or William around. It may have even been taken around Buckleberry, because there was much talk that when wasn’t officially seen she was actually recovering at her parents. It still shows she had energy for a photo shoot with outfit changes and location changes, but no energy for charity visits or even a zoom call.
I had actually forgotten about that dumb photo where Kate hid her face when William supposedly accompanied her to an appointment. That remains bizarre. The car photo with Carole though was the Middletons flexing their power. And likely confirms Kate was staying with them during her recovery. The photo is blurry but highly suggested Kate had a swollen face which seems unusual for abdominal surgery. And Kate made sure to wear shades, but Carole the driver did not. (As a driver I find that weird. Normally you wear sunglasses as a driver to avoid glare that could cause an accident) Carole and Kate were making a point with that photo and sending William a message. This photo also led to the scramble of the fake family photo, which I think was pure William ordering his team to send a photo to shut down the talk of Kate being injured due to physical violence. Also the fact that this car photo was never printed in British media tells you KP ordered them not to post it. Normally they make threats for photos of the kids but not adults. And on top of that the ridiculous market walk with fake kate. More bizarre responses.
And she looks so healthy for a woman who cannot work most days and she as done ever since she reappeared.
I’ve noticed that the most engagement Kate or Wales’s get is when Meghan or the Sussexes launch something, or are getting mentioned in the headlines. It’s like Meghan and Harry are trendsetters and the blueprint for the island as someone here said. Watch for Kate’s cooking with some of her family and her kids on Instagram in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ……
This is what that NYT article which revealed the scale of Kensington Palace’s (William and Kate) bot buying spree revealed. KP’s instagram had inflated numbers and very low engagement, but their follower count tended to increase NOT when William or Kate had been on the receiving end of media attention, but when MEGHAN (and to a lesser extent Harry) had been receiving global attention. For example, after A’s birth (not Louis’), or on the US mother’s day, which is in May, vs. the UK version which is in March. KP tied its bot purchases to events and dates relevant to M and (obviously) the expected increase in the SussexRoyal follower count.
I suspect that they will be doing the same again now. Everytime M posts something or something happens with the Sussexes’ foundation, KP will suddenly either post something (in the same style and language) and/or their follower count will increase.
All this to say, yep, Harry and Meghan are the trendsetters.
The “cancer” was pre-cancerous cells is all. Easily dealt with.
The more I look at this photo, I keep wondering if its from the JC Penney photo shoot from two Christmases ago. Her white shirt and jeans would have matched whatever the kids were wearing.
It does have a similar vibe, but it isn’t.
I found a big version at Twatler. Not only are shirt and jeans different, they also listed another photographer.
There is a lot of investment in this marriage being a success given the huge reputational damage KC suffered over his treatment of Diana. RF PR is ridiculous and overblown and so this marriage is also bigged up so it is the love affair of the century. Now that is a lot to live up to and increasingly since their 10th anniversary the plaudits of the press has been in stark contrast to how they reacted together in public. Will looks completely Ben Affleck around her whilst Kate is very conscious of photo ops and looks at him and tries to pat his ass . The September video was her fantasy of him being an adoring husband. The birthday message wasn’t written by Will but approved by him. They are not divorcing and Will is paying lip service to PR as a happily married man with this public tribute. However he resents the hell out of doing anything he doesn’t want to do clearly hates playing out this charade in public. Living a lie must be stressful. Honesty is the best policy but RF seem to prefer a unrealistic public image of perfection fed to the RR.
William still imo has discreet affairs and is careful not to be caught. Someday he may want a halt to the facade.
Wonder if Kensington Palace home is discreet enough? Kate & kids don’t seem to go there, just to Windsor, Amner, & Bucklebury.
Kate never had cancer. I’m so sick of hearing this over and over again.
‘Birthday breakfast’? This is a thing? And followed by a tea party? Without the kids, just the two adults? Why??
Birthday breakfasts are definitely a thing my house, but if birthdays land on weekdays, we have them on weekends — because, you know, we have actual jobs.
Unless like these two layabouts.
Just because, they’re so in lurrrve!
Is she modelling for Target now?
I think it’s more like modeling for Walmart.
I will never get over the body language of that cringe-y Massengill video. W looks like he’s being forced at gunpoint. He is squirming to get away from her. Why she would want to parade a farce is completely beyond me.
Yep it certainly did not break the internet. The world esp outside the UK sees their true colors and don’t believe their BS.
The thumbs hooked into the belt with the fingers pointed where they are say “I’m confident and in charge” while the not looking directly at the camera says “(if that’s ok with you)”
The leftover royals are like watching an extended version of Alice in Wonderland because they are “Curiouser and Curiouser” by the day. She looks very healthy and back to her normal self in this recent birthday photo, that they are now telling us was from more than four months ago, but she is supposed to be unable to do any work, not even from home on her computer? Others around her look worse than she does, including Charles and especially William. William looks more sickly than she does, even with her weight loss which is normal for her. Tired eyes doesn’t equate to someone being sick. Her never being seen going into or coming out of a hospital swarming with paparazzi, while we have one photo of William near the hospital, is still suspicious. Her whole entire family not going to the hospital the entire time she was there. Some of them even went on vacation during a time their media friends were telling us that they were helping her following this mysterious stomach surgery. William being seen with bruising and avoiding an important memorial that was just down the street from him. Are we sure that William isn’t the one who’s really sick or also sick? His scraggly beard was grown immediately after people started noticing his bruising and swaying while doing engagements. Articles like these and her being able to be the mediocre princess she has always wanted makes it seem like she has something really big on him and he’s having to bend the knee to avoid her spilling the tea. It would also explain why Charles was so cold towards her at the state visit.