Soon after King Charles touched down in Poland to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Kensington Palace announced that the Princess of Wales would make a surprise appearance alongside her husband at the London event marking the somber occasion. Kate actually has done some work on Holocaust remembrance in years past, and she even befriended a few survivors who escaped Nazi occupation and made it to London as children. I’m just saying, her appearance yesterday wasn’t completely random, this is actually a subject she cares about.
For the appearance – her first with William in 2025, and only her second of the year – Kate chose a somber black ensemble, trousers, a black knit sweater and a long black coat. She paired the black ensemble with Queen Elizabeth II’s five-strand pearl necklace and Bahrain pearl-drop earrings. I feel like the pearls were too dressy for this outfit? I always wonder if those pieces have been given to Kate on a permanent loan – you never see Camilla wearing those particular pearls, and Camilla has been looting all of QEII’s jewelry. Also: Kate’s bag is Chanel, how poignant. To learn more, google “Coco Chanel + Nazi.”
At the service, Kate got to meet up with her old friends, Steven Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, who survived the Holocaust. They received hugs and everyone held hands. I’ve said this so many times, but Kensington Palace made a huge mistake by forcing Kate to make “Early Years” her big cause – while Kate might like children (I think she only really likes her own children), Kate has always been excellent with seniors. Older folks have always enjoyed Kate as well – they think she’s cute and charming. I’m just saying… Kate always seems much more genuine with seniors. She should have a portfolio full of charities dealing with old farts. She should regularly tour nursing homes and assisted living facilities, not nursery schools.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales attended a ceremony to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and.the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in London. The event brought together faith and civic leaders as well as survivors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides.,Image: 958086269, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Unknown/Avalon/Avalon
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- The Prince of Wales attended a ceremony to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and.the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in London. The event brought together faith and civic leaders as well as survivors of the.Holocaust and more recent genocides.,Image: 958090756, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Arthur Edwards/Avalon/Avalon
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- The Prince of Wales attended a ceremony to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and.the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in London. The event brought together faith and civic leaders as well as survivors of the.Holocaust and more recent genocides. Kate with Yvonne Bernstein,Image: 958090778, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Arthur Edwards/Avalon/Avalon
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- The Prince of Wales attended a ceremony to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and.the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in London. The event brought together faith and civic leaders as well as survivors of the.Holocaust and more recent genocides. Kate with Robert Berkowitz,Image: 958090861, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Arthur Edwards/Avalon/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales attended a ceremony to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and.the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in London. The event brought together faith and civic leaders as well as survivors of the.Holocaust and more recent genocides. Kate with Rachell Levy,Image: 958090875, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Arthur Edwards/Avalon/Avalon
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales attended a ceremony to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and.the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in London. The event brought together faith and civic leaders as well as survivors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides.,Image: 958095700, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Arthur Edwards/Avalon/Avalon
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales attended a ceremony to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and.the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in London. The event brought together faith and civic leaders as well as survivors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides.,Image: 958095716, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Arthur Edwards/Avalon/Avalon
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales attended a ceremony to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and.the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in London. The event brought together faith and civic leaders as well as survivors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides.,Image: 958095878, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Arthur Edwards/Avalon/Avalon
The Chanel handbag was the first thing I noticed.
How completely Middletonedeaf of her to pick a bag from a brand founded by a Nazi sympathiser to meet up with Holocaust survivors.
I knew Kate isn’t smart but she’s THAT fµck!ng dumb? Damn. And no one around her to tell her to maybe pick another brand on this particular day?
But at least the Derangers noticed she was looking radiant. As if it’s about her…
Yes! How absolutely ignorant of history is she and her staff? It’s beyond tone deaf—stunning stupidity is more like it.
The Chanel link to Nazis is still not widely known, especially outside of France. But any competent staff would have caught this and nixed the bag. As the link above atests, Coco did an excellent job covering her tracks.
The Chanel link to the Nazis isn’t a secret. There was a recent series about it on Apple TV. Kate and her staff are just ignorant in general.
This is the first I’ve heard of it.😐😲
@Nanea – It’s the first thing I noticed as well, and the pearls! Both are associated with Coco Chanel and are totally inappropriate for a Holocaust memorial. I suggest those who don’t know about Coco Chanel’s wartime past try and watch the drama ‘The New Look’ which is about the French fashion designer Christian Dior and his great rival Coco Chanel in France during WWII. It is a sobering story of occupied France. We of a certain generation learned about such things in school, and from parents who served in the military during WWII, but the younger generations seem to be totally ignorant.
Yeah, it was the pearls & the Chanel I first noticed as well. My first thought was she’s been raiding TQs jewelry box again & my oh my, she must be pleased that some of that duchy money is coming her way so she can buy Chanel, Nazi connections or no, and finally stop with the Mulberry, Smythson, and Aspinall.
Although I was pleased she wore trousers & didn’t have another car-exit flashing incident.
And the hair. Not appropriate for a sombre occasion, more a party vibe.
If it takes a bunch of 80-years olds to make you look radiant in comparison…….
I did not know that about CoCo Chanel.
Um I love working w seniors…you learn so much from older generations….old farts are awesome. Wow I am so moved by stories from the holocaust survivors…,much respect
That’s a pretty awful comment. Read up on Coco, you’ll be horrified. These people survived the holocaust. They’re not “a bunch of 80 year olds”, they’re strong, resilient people who deserve every honour they get. BTW, I’m 72 and a two-time cancer survivor. Does that make me a boring old fart?
Holocaust survivors would be in 90s because it has been 80 years since the war ended and it’s unlikely many were born in the camps themselves.
I guess good for not wearing hot pink or Hugo Boss? The bar is low.
The owners of Chanel are two brothers, The Wertheimers, and, they are jewish. so I think it’s ok to wear a Chanel bag to this occasion
Respectfully I disagree. The wealthy people, who happen to be Jewish, finally acquired the Chanel brand does not make it OK for people to wear Chanel to THIS event. They are enough fashion houses to choose from or she could simply not carrying a bag, she have went to plenty of events not wearing a bag.
actually the chanel bag is a good choice… coco tried to screw her two jewish partners out of their share of ownership of the company in WW2 . they outmanoeuvred her and to this day it is held by their decedents . ultimate victory over pure hatred. we jews know the untold
story of Chanel ( look up Pierre Wertheimer)
Good to know.
This doesn’t undo the pain Chanel caused during the actual time of the Holocaust. It is vindication for the brothers themselves but she provided information that harmed Jewish people during WWII.
A while back they told us that she has a massive handbag collection but she HAD to carry a Chanel handbag to Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Her fans must be stupid too because her official photos are “touched up”. William seems to be bothered by something. He seems to be behaving better toward Kate, but it was not the time or place for him to be obviously angry toward her.
In that top photos he’s crowded in front of her, with his right shoulder in the way. She’s behind him & he has no knowledge of or interest in how she’s doing. What a peach of a guy! 🙄
I don’t like William’s laziness and treatment of his brother and wife. However, I do think that like the rest of us, he’s tired of Kate’s attention-seeking. I’ll give him a pass this time.
Ummm… Chanel was co-founded by a Jewish man and is owned to this day by his family – the Wertheimers. Buying Chanel is nothing but supportive of Jewish-owned business.
The necklace is sold by Kaplan collection or copies thereof . The dm said it sold out
Correct. Susan Caplan jewellers released a statement praising Kate for choosing appropriate jewelry.
Was it though? Aesthetically, I’d disagree.
Yes, the necklace was not one of Ol’ Betty’s but was rather sourced from Susan Kaplan, a vintage jewelry store that carries a lot of “faux” pearls. Some of their pearl necklaces, like Kate’s, are “reimagined” (restrung?) with vintage fake pearl beads.
Aha! Well, that explains why I couldn’t remember or find online any photos of QEII in a five-strand pearl necklace. She never had one!
Personally, I think the 5 strands are a bit much for this kind of event in the *daytime*. Perhaps a single strand, or even a double, at most. Just looks “off” IMO.
As for the all black, finally appropriate (as opposed to the hot pink at the 9-11 Memorial, and that floral print with open toed sandals at the Concentration Camp).
The first thing I thought was it should have been a double strand, not five of them. Now I know why the queen stuck with a double strand. It just seems a more dignified, less here for a fun time necklace.
Agree with you both on the necklace. As for the ‘all-black’ outfit–is it? The trousers & coat seem to be a dark grey in contrast with that black sweater. Or she doesn’t know about matching blacks, or didn’t care.
Generally, yes, it is a good idea to promote it. But not at a Memorial Service. It could have been done afterwards, not so soon after–it was about the survivors not Kate and what she wore.. Just my take on it. As it was Kate got most of the attention of the Memorial Service. and it was Kate this and Kate that in DM coverage.
Oh wow. I never like her outfits but, on clothes alone, I really like this outfit. The necklace and purse can leave, but the pants and coat are *chef’s kiss*
Your chefs kiss is different to mine.. Nothing actually matches?
The entire outfit, with the exception of the hideous pearls, is very “Meghan”. She’s still kopykeening / single white female-ing.
@Magdalena, 💯 correct. She never wore her coats unbuttoned, until Meghan started doing it. I have nothing good to say about that racist Mumbleton
you like it because she’s back in her Meghan lookbook again.
the open coat, the long wide leg pants and the unbuttoned coat were all Meghans’ looks. but of course she cant help boogering it up with too much jewelry/accessories.
Cracks me up every time. Kate, the accessories buyer! 🤣. Can’t accessorize to save her life!
I love the wide legs on the trousers. I’m always tempted to buy those kinds of trousers b/c I think they’re elegant and striking (and easier to pull off if you’re very tall, as Kate is and I am) – but then I remember that when I bought some a few years ago, I feel TWICE when I got my shoes tangled up in them while walking. I had to give them to the thrift store, where hopefully someone less clumsy got the use of them! And don’t even get me started on stilettos…
Omg Sadiemae I have the same problem w some linen palazzos! We now call them the pants of death and I have seriously hurt myself twice when trying to run in them while playing w my daughter. Now I’m not allowed to run in them no matter what. Still healing my hand.
A lot of bling for the occasion, IMO.
The DM is reporting that it’s actually a vintage faux pearl necklace from a designer whose family was in the Holocaust…not QEII’s
Yeah, I thought it was over the top for daytime especially when I thought it was some of the royal jewels. But knowing it was faux and from a Jewish designer just had me going meh, fine. It’s still a lot of strands for daytime imo but I guess that’s what people want to see on their royals?
A “too much” piece of jewelry is a Kate trademark, especially if the rest of her outfit is black/somber. My favorite example is the garish leaf shaped brooch with pearls she wore to QE2’s funeral, but add also the vulva necklace seen (for the first time?) at Philip’s funeral. Also the fake tiara for the coronation. Nothing to do with what people want to see on their royals – it’s all about her need to draw everyone’s attention and be talked about. These pearls are the same old same old (despite the interesting story of their source) – a little too much, worn in order to be noticed.
Okay so yeah that makes sense. My question is would the queen wear that many pearls for a daytime event. Isn’t being royal about being kind of garish? Like I’m sure royalists out there will claim how respectful 5 stands are. Like I really don’t know. Is it the more pearls one wears the more respect one has? Is that their logic?
At least she didn’t wear the vulva necklace.
@jais at most the queen would’ve worn a three strand. And did. Hundreds or thousands of times. She had a favorite one and it’s in a number of photos, many iconic. It was sort of the ideal number. Not too many, not too few, just right for any number of different occasions.
Thank u! Yeah, 3 seems like a good number.
She looks genuinely animated when she’s with seniors as opposed to over the top with other events. Her facial expressions here don’t look as forced and exaggerated. Maybe it’s just confirmation bias, but you’re absolutely right, Kaiser.
She is a bit too cheerful and she still makes those faces.
There’s a lot of people around her looking pleasant and smiling. I’m not going to criticize her for smiling at people she’s happy to see. They survived the holocaust and are happy to see her too
trouble is the media makes it all about Kate.
i do think she looks better around seniors than children. Maybe she finds them easier to talk to, maybe they are more impressed with her title and more royalist (and 3-4 year olds dont care besides “are you like Elsa?!?!!?”), etc. But I agree with Kaiser that forcing her into early years was a mistake and they should have had her focus on seniors.
There are people who are more comfortable with senior.
I am one of those.
She should be doing more events like this.
Also Seniors may be the most loyal supporters of the M9narchy.
She may be more natural with seniors, but speaking as an “old fart” myself, many of us do not find her all that charming. And we want the monarchy abolished.
High 5, Brassy.
@Becks: you don’t know the monarchy keeps surviving. They have to keep brainwashing the kids to keep the show on the road. The oldies are already converts and won’t be around much longer, so …
The trouble is some older women that like Kate slam meghan.
That’s one reason Kate would enjoy hanging out with older women.
She’d be with other racists.
#NotAllOlderWhiteWomen — and not older Jewish women, of course. I’m talking more generally about seniors, who tend to be less open-minded.
Although I will staunchly deny it because I just don’t feel it, I guess I’m in the age group now considered by most to be ‘senior’. I hope to heck I never become less open-minded. Keep learning, people! There are different ways of being & thinking than when you grew up!
Your caveat doesn’t really offset the quite offensive generalisation that precedes it. Many old women would have been working in various ways -major and more minor – against Nazis in WW2 and yet here you are.
The pearls belonged to the Queen? I thought they were purchased from a vintage shop? No? OK…anyway, her ensemble is good here and appropriate with the exception of the Chanel purse. But she’s way too thin, thiner than last year. And the wig is beyond obvious..
According to dm they are from the susan Kaplan collection and people can buy copies.
Correct. Susan Caplan with a C. They’re £275 and back in stock.
Yes and it’s in bad taste for dm to talk about it selling out or where it can be purchased.
Why? I’m sure the (Jewish owned) company was grateful. They posted about her wearing the pearls on their Instagram.
I think it ok in general to promote the line of jewelry. But this being promoted by Kate at a memorial service is not the time or place imo.
What stands out for me is the wig. It’s insane. How does no one comment on it? She’s got 3x as much hair now as when she was 20. And it’s looking like a full wig. It’s bizarre.
@Sasha the hair is absolutely insane. She had the perfect excuse to ditch the giant wigs last year and let people get used to her natural hair’s appearance! As humbling as “cancer” can be, still a slave to vanity.
@Sasha – What gets me is that you can see her real hair at the front (the way it’s parted and goes behind her ears) and the wig doesn’t even match!
Attempting and failing to cosplay Meghan with all that doll hair and those pearls absolutely are too dress for this occasion. She’s such an attention seeker. It’s exhausting and her lack of shame is alarming.
How is that cosplaying Meghan? Meghan has natural (not doll) hair and doesn’t wear 5 strand pearls. That’s a truly snarky comment.
Pearls are appropriate, not 5 strands. Her wig looks absurd.
Meghan was the first royal woman to wear a black pantsuit to a daytime event.
The difference is that Meghan rocked it.
Not only that, but M was the only female royal who wore trousers that length and style. Kate only began to wear them after her fans online and in the media all collectively slammed M for (a) wearing trousers and (b) wearing them that long. It is cosplaying.
Yeah I have a hard time with anyone who can’t concede that Kate never wore pantsuits before Meghan. It’s clear Meghan influenced a change in Kate’s style.
Thanks for explaining Gabby. I don’t come on here to make shit up. After all, I’m not apart of the royal rota.
Sophie was actually the first to wear a black pantsuit. Or at least years before Meghan. She also,wore trousers of the looser, longer style. The photos are out there. It’s just part of the “breaking protocol” nonsense that was used against Meghan. Also wearing foreign labels. Sophie did that too. Now was Kate galvanized by Meghan? Almost certainly given the timing.
With respect to Kate, she never wore proper trousers until after Meghan arrived. Anne and Sophie did wear them, but the Kate stans work real hard to try and take jeggings with a blazer as a pant suit. The truth is she did not. It was coatdresses or jeggings. For years people on this site said she should be wearing trousers instead of those awful jeggings.
The pearls don’t belong to the Queen but a Jewish designer called Susan Caplan. The British press assumed that the pearls were from the Queen’s collection but the designer posted on Instagram that they were from her store. They’re vintage fake pearls. The Chanel Bag was a choice but I’m sure Kate’s excuse is that Chanel still belongs to the Jewish family that were Coco’s partners.
To be exact it is the Chanel Perfume Company including the licensing rights to Chanel No. 5 that belongs to the descendant of the family Pierre and Paul Wertheimer. All the rest of the Chanel product lines belong to the Chanel company.
@line – Correct.
Kate rarely wore anything Chanel until now and she decides to wear a Chanel bag for this? Where is all the talk of diplomatic dressing here because that was a fail. She has so many other black handbags that would have worked and not have that distasteful association.
She makes this event about herself
Always, 100%. I’ll never forget how she made the world’s most prestigious tennis event about her. No wonder Carlos couldn’t wait to get away from her and her equally useless sister.
The photographer did his photshop work very well in these pics. She almost looks fresh as a daisy.
I thought the same thing. She looks very refreshed compared to last week or whenever the hospital visit was.
I think it is a real life refresher too.
In that group photo, is Will standing in front of Kkkate? That’s what it looks like. The wig is hideous and photoshop or not, I think most people remain unconvinced she had cancer.
Yes! His right shoulder is absolutely in front of her! There’s plenty of space for him to move to his left; but no, he’d rather shove his wife to the back.
He is actually smiling a real smile while cutting her off. 😒🤣 He is like witch I may have to see you sometimes but get your but behind me🤣
Terrible gaffe with the purse, but the survivors were happy that she was there, and I doubt that any of them are fashionistas who noticed.
@Chaine – I’m pretty sure the survivors of that particular period in history would have noticed! Coco Chanel’s closeness to the British aristocracy and the Nazi sympathizers amongst them (including Royalty) probably goes a long way to explain why Kitty should feel it appropriate to carry a Chanel handbag to a Holocaust memorial service.
But it doesn’t sound like they did? We only see quotes from people who think she’s lovely and are glad she was there. No one who was there or their families has gone to complain about her handbag to any news outlet that I’ve seen?
The BM and MSM in general never posts anything negative about the royals. There could have been holocaust survivors who were unimpressed by her but you won’t get that story. It doesn’t mean it ceases to exist. You only get the sugar stories.
Trying to overshadow Charles by using Holocaust survivors is a new low for the Wales’s.
Also apparently she had a chanel bag so she’s not that concerned about the holocaust.
There was no reason to pretend this was a surprise. The necklace shows there was some planning and so when William was announced to attend it should have been said she was at that time as well.
Agreed that Early Years was short-sighted and always poorly suited. No kid has ever looked as thrilled to be in Kate’s proximity as these oldies. Plus, she looks so much younger next to extremely elderly people lol! Missed a trick there KP.
Will’s beard is sooo bad, I really wish I didn’t know what was going on under his chin there. They look as separated as ever.
Maybe he keeps the beard to annoy khate or kc3 or both
I was horrified to read the comments in today’s DM from the idiots who didn’t realise the significance of the Chanel handbag, which I’ve never seen Kate use before (was it her mother’s I wonder?). It was totally inappropriate for the occasion, given Coco Chanel’s wartime past. The brazen ignorance of young people today astounds me. In a recent survey, most youngsters interviewed could not even name one of the WWII death camps. The pearl necklace Kate wore was over the top too, even if it was allegedly ‘faux’ from a Jewish designer. Coco Chanel was also fond of pearls.
She’s worn the bagonce before. When she went to watch Rugby at the 2023 World cup in France.
And she has a red Chanel bag that we saw for the first time in France too, years ago. It makes me laugh because you know Kate just thinks “going to France, need chanel!”
@Amy Bee – I stand corrected 🙂. Actually I have a Chanel handbag myself which was given to me by a relative in France but I would not be so tone-deaf as to wear it to a Holocaust memorial service.
@Becks I just think that out of the grillion bajillion handbags Kate owns, to wear Chanel was at minimum obtuse of Kate given that it can clearly cause offence. It’s not like she didn’t have other choices, nor was she in France (the only place to wear a Chanel, lol)
@Lady Esther – Exactly!
oh I completely agree. “at minimum obtuse” is a good way to put it.
It was downright offensive, really. If you’re taking part in an event like this, you and your staff ensure that every piece of your ensemble is appropriate.
We know she spends an inordinate amount of time preparing her wardrobe, with her staff, so there is no excuse for this insensitive error.
Young people are taught a distorted version of history according to whatever political agenda is in place where they live. When I was in school I was never taught an American history class that made it past WW2, so I never had an official history class that dealt with the Korean War, the Civil Rights movement of the 50s and 60s, the Vietnam War, the Iranian hostsge crisis, or the inflation crisis in the 70s. I was also taught that the civil war was caused by a fight over states rights/NOT about slavery and that most black people where better off enslaved that free. I grew up and learned better, but most people do not question what they are taught in school and most also believe everything the see online no matter hoe asinine. Antisemitism is exploding around the world and the holocaust is being erased from history. The Republicans tax cuts have subtly been destroying education for generations and the voucher programs they are so gleefully pushing through will finish education.
@TN Democrat – It’s heart-breaking to think that when the next major anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau comes around there may be no survivors left. I agree with you to a certain extent about what is taught in schools, particularly in the USA. I grew up in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s and had many Jewish friends. We were of course taught about the Holocaust in school in those days. I now live in the Netherlands which was occupied by the Nazis during WWII. A close friend (older than me and now sadly deceased) lived through that occupation. Memories of the Holocaust are all around me. I was pleased to see that our Dutch King and Queen attended the memorial service at Auschwitz yesterday.
@TN Democrat: did you grow up in Tennessee, too? I would suggest that in part, the lack of full historical disclosure is due in part to that state’s being in the Confederacy. I lived & worked in Georgia for six years & realized that most white people are still p*ssed off that they lost the war. Countless historical markers & interp signs refer to the War of Northern Aggression & commemorate CSA battles won, as do the enactments. Meanwhile, out West, we definitely learned that slavery was at the core of that conflict. And I was in school during the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, & the 70s era gas crisis, Watergate scandal, etc., so I was aware of all that while it was going on.
And I’m very worried with what’s going to happen with the teaching of our history now, given the MAGA efforts to remove all references to anything other than white history.
Kate is an early millennial and not so young as to blame the current education system. Just pop culture wise she would have been a teen around the time Schindlers list came out and won Oscar’s.
Also the Chanel being a sympathizer with the Nazis is not a secret. While she does the theme dressing and wears Chanel when in France, there was no link here and it shows that both she and her staff are just dumb.
Early millennial? That starts around the mid-90s. She’s a late Generation X.
No, millennial starts in 1980/81 (depending on your source) and ends in the mid/late 90s.
Ah, right you are according to Wiki. Well, she looks old enough to be Generation X 😉 also, she’s very early millennial.
@Nic919 – Coco Chanel was more than a sympathizer. She was a collaborator. Many collaborators were executed when Europe was liberated in 1945.
I fail to see the drama with the Chanel handbag. But maybe because my youth was spent watching the career of Simone Veil, so closely associated to the brand, that she wore her whole life, and in key moments.
If a woman who survived Auschwitz, where her mother, father, brother and a sister died, who made a point of fighting antisemitism until her death chose to be a Chanel ambassador, I can stomach an aristo toting a Chanel bag.
And maybe, as someone noted in a previous comment, many remember that Chanel, though partially founded by Gabrielle Chanel, found success thanks to Wertheimer and his family. Who still owns part of the house today.
This is problematic because Gabrielle Chanel was a Nazi collaborator who had an affair with Nazi spy officer Hans Günther von Dincklage who allowed her to escape the food rationing laws during the occupation of France.
Above all, she involves the German authorities to recover the ownership of her perfumes, ceded before the war to Jewish industrialists.It is as if Charles had gone to Auschwitz dress with a Hugo Boss suit.
She would have carried her bag in another context, it’s not so problematic but for this specific event, it’s in very bad taste, if it was Meghan, Michelle Obama or any woman of color, the media would have written tons of articles about it
Coco didn’t cede the ownership, she went into a business deal where she only owned 10% of the perfume company. Later, during the Nazi seizure of Jewish assets, she tried to gain sole ownership by claiming she was “Aryan.” But the Wertheimer family anticipated the seizures and had temporarily transferred ownership to a Christian friend. After the war, they cut a deal with Coco and gained full rights to her name.
I’ m perfectly aware of all of this, as was Simone Veil and some jewish french girls/women who came back from the camps and chose to wear Chanel after the Wertheimers regained control.
Especially for events commemorating their survival (rallyes for l’association des fils et filles de déportés) or the nazis defeat. That after Coco’s death,her brand would survive and made the fortune of a jewish family thrilled my jewish great aunt .
I’m not as familiar with the Boss brand history. Is it detained by a wealthy jewish german family? If not, why comparing?
@line – There is more to it than that. Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel’s history with the Nazis is grim. She was also close to the virulently anti-Semitic British aristocracy.
@Manta – Hugo Boss made uniforms for the SS during WWII. They are not, nor ever have been a Jewish-associated company.
@Manta – Sorry, I was responding to @line.
@Manta – Coco Chanel cared nothing for the Wertheimers and would have betrayed them to the Nazis if she could. They were merely her financial backers.
Agree @Deborah1. According to one BBC article, Coco Chanel “also tried, unsuccessfully, to use the Nazi’s Aryan laws preventing Jews from owning businesses to try to take control of her perfume company from her Jewish partners.”
@QuiteContrary – Correct.
Kate is not Jewish and is not in a position to whitewash the actions of Coco Chanel. She has a ton of similar bags and could have chosen any of them. This was not the appropriate event to wear anything by a Nazi Sympathizer.
I believe Carole Middleton has a Jewish background? Goldsmith?
I don’t know Carole’s ancestry but back in the Middle Ages, at least in the UK, men had last names according to their occupations–coopers, smiths, millers, fletchers, etc. It’s possible there was a goldsmith in her family back in the day.
Thanks Beanie: Kate certainly wasn’t raised Jewish, or is of the Jewish faith, but I do recall reading that her mother was Jewish, though not observing the religion.
@Convict – That’s not true and was disproved in the Jewish Chronicle many years ago.
Carole was not raised Jewish nor have we ever heard that her grandmother was Jewish. They have been Church of England for generations and never claimed that heritage in any case.
Ok, I stand corrected. But Goldsmith is a Jewish name, at least in the uk. I don’t know how you can be so sure.
@Convict – I prefer to believe the investigation by the Jewish Chronicle in 2013 about Carole Middleton’s ancestry. They said emphatically that none of her ancestors were Jewish, despite the name Goldsmith.
Compared to Hugo Boss, as said Deborah1 the brand to manufacture the uniforms of the SS, but also exploited sometimes until death more than 50,000 forced laborers, prisoners of war and concentration camps, to manufacture weapons and batteries indispensable to Hitler. The founder of the brand , Günther Quandt was also an active member of the NSDA (the Nazi party)
Let’s not forget Ford motor cars who made cars for the Nazis – the founder, Henry Ford, was nasty and very open antisemite who was the only American that Hilter mentions in Mein Kampf (he was also reported to have paid for it to be translated into English).
People have also forgotten that the Volkswagon car manufacturer was founded by the Nazi party. The original VW logo looks like the swastika.
@Digital Unicorn: I have a 2018 black VW beetle & cannot get out of my head that photo of Hitler visiting the VW plant & looking at a car that looks very much like mine. Still bought it, though. 🤷♀️
@Digital Unicorn – There are many German companies who were associated with the Nazis during WWII which have now become acceptable. I have no problem with that, nor do I have a problem with Japanese products, despite the record of the Japanese during WWII. I feel we cannot boycott products because of their past associations. What I do have a problem with is Kitty carrying that Chanel handbag to a Holocaust memorial service which I regard as extremely insensitive. She must have hundreds of handbags to choose from. Why choose that one?
Seeing this play out on social media yesterday was…..something. KP clearly waited until Charles was out of the country to announce her visit so that it would take all the views from Charles at Auschwitz. If they had announced Kate’s visit last week it wouldn’t have been a big deal. But this was a calculated move from KP.
and then KP posted like 3 different times about this visit and BP kept posting about Charles’ visit (like neither one could wait until the end of the day to just make one big post?) It was…..something, like I said.
Charles does not like being outdone like that. I think if anything, her “surprise visits” are going to stop.
Hmm. Do you think her surprise visits will stop though? Charles hasn’t reined them in yet.
I don’t think Charles can do much at this point, now that he doesn’t control Willie’s purse strings. Not much to hold over his 3 haired head.
Technically, there’s probably alot of secrets that Charles and Camilla could spill about the wales couple but maybe they have to weigh that with protecting the future of the crown. Maybe denying tiaras is there only play at the moment.
Well, I mean, I don’t know if Charles actually can “stop” the visits but I’m sure he’s pissed about this and someone at KP is going to hear it.
We’ve seen surprise visits become Kates’s MO over the years and one of the big theories has been that its because her attendance is uncertain – whether it has always been health related or just laziness or something else – but I also think a big reason for the surprise visits is because it gets more attention on her. By making her attendance yesterday a last minute announcement, it put more attention on that event than on Charles. had they announced her attendance last week, it wouldn’t have been as big a deal IMO.
So I’m sure neither Charles nor Camilla is happy with her especially if this continues.
(And yes I know Camilla wasn’t there but I think she uses her press contacts to protect herself AND Charles and will attack if necessary.)
Yeah I can’t at all imagine Charles being happy about this. It’s just funny bc in the past he’s called her his beloved daughter-in-law but there’s clearly no love lost if she’s doing surprise appearances during his first trip to Auschwitz. I get that William has beef with Charles but man I’m guessing Kate does too.
I hope Charles puts his foot down about “surprise visits.” ANd puts an end to it.
Her choice of necklace makes it obvious that Kate was always planning to attend. She found a vintage necklace by a Jewish designer so we know this was not last minute since we have never seen this one before.
Very childish to try and grab attention especially when Charles is literally at Auschwitz making history as the first British monarch to attend.
There will be pushback for this, especially because Charles still ultimately has control.
Yeah, that’s the thing. It very clearly could’ve been announced before the day of.
I don’t have anything to critique here. The outfit is fine, pearls are for mourning (at least for the RF) and the Chanel bag is kind of an interesting story of the years-long battle between Nazi-affiliated Coco Chanel and the Jewish Wertheimer family for sole control of the company. The Werthheimers won.
Those weren’t Liz’s pearls, they were imitation and made by a Jewish jewelry company. The company @ her in a xweet.
She just looks dry.. hair, skin, personality all of it. I just want to dip her in hydrating oils 🫣🥴.. isn’t she itchy?
I didn’t know Coco Chanel was a Nazi sympathizer. The outfits gives after 5 cocktails and the pearls are a bit much for the event IMO. The BM doesn’t do Kate any favor about gushing about her outfits because it feeds the narrative Kate is a bucket of fluff who only cares about clothes. The designer of the faux pearl necklace looks gross for using the rememberance of the murder of 6M Jewish people to promote her merch on SM.
I think Kate enjoys older people because of their reverence to her as a member of the royal family. Her outfit is Meghan influenced except Meghan would not wear items from a Nazi sympathizer to a Holocaust Remembrance event. The necklace is too much.
I agree that Kate always shines when she visits the elderly. However, she should have focused on gerontology because there are now more elderly people, as people live longer.
That wig looks awful. Someone needs to get a new wiglet gopher.
Doesn’t seem to be much backlash about Kate’s bag gaffe. 😕 Seriously, Kate has plenty of bags, it didn’t have to be this one. For someone who makes a point of incorporating a country’s colours and symbols when she travels, I am surprised at this. I liked her outfit otherwise.
@Tarte au Citron – I think it’s because most people don’t realise the significance of the Chanel handbag. Those of us who were born not long after the end of WWII do.
Lots of comments about the pearls and not one of you gave her any credit for leaving the diamond vulva at home. **Credit to the CB who came up with that term after Liz’s funeral**
I love that Chuckles was outshone on his Auschwitz visit. He deserved it. I do look forward to hearing from Justine Bateman about how inappropriate it was for him to glorify himself on the backs of holocaust victims by conducting horror tourism photo ops and walking the land where people were murdered. Weren’t his father’s sisters married to Nazis?
@Gabby – His great-uncle on his mother’s side was a Nazi sympathizer too. Actually I had no objections to KCIII visiting Auschwitz yesterday. He showed appropriate solemnity and was one of the many heads of state who attended (but where was the American delegation?). Contrast that with Kitty’s “surprise” visit to the Holocaust memorial service in London which the tabloid press have made all about her.
The heads of state attending the memorial in Poland showed proper behavior. And did not get all the attention. Kate was a bit too jovial
She wore all black for that occasion, huh? What’s the matter, was her pink party dress at the cleaner’s?
I wonder if her attendance yesterday betokens her presence at the BAFTAs next month? Or will she deign to appear on a weekly basis rather than monthly basis from now on? Just how slow and gradual is her return to work going to be from now on? Prior to 2024 she used to limit herself to twice weekly appearances spread over 7 months of the year (5 months private school holidays being sacrosanct.) A phased return usually involves building up your hours until you get back to normal.
Kates. Getting flak on dm for making the event about herself
In everything they do there is planning and though that goes into what they wear to certain events. Her wearing that five strand pearl necklace in homage to a Jewish designer shows that this was planned prior to her last minute decision to attend this event so why was it necessary to announce this “surprise” visit if not to get more attention on herself? The wearing of the necklace for this event and the fact that she doesn’t normally wear Chanel to engagements shows how deliberate she was in wearing that purse to meet Holocaust survivors. It wasn’t a mistake it was intentional. Just like her wearing long pants with a flared bottom similar to Meghan, is to get more attention on herself. I’ll say that at least she was more subtle in her attempt to get the attention on herself at a memorial and remembrance ceremony.
Thankfully, Charles was the only one in the RF to get media coverage for going to the Memorial Service in Poland. Kate and William got no coverage on US news stations.
Or Australia , from what I saw .
Just honoured the survivors , which is what it should be from such atrocities .
I have read so much about what happened and it still makes me wonder how anyone survived what pure hell the Jews were subjected to .
Some went on to live incredible lives .
The human spirit truly is amazing ,
Will still leans away from her when they’re photographed side by side. Also, a shorter haircut might flatter her. The long hair just looks messy these days.
She clings to the hairstyle from 20 years ago. When she had the haircut in 2018 she looked so much better. And hair was easier to maintain. This ultra long hair makes her look older.
Maybe it’s her last ditch effort to get Willy to notice and interact with her? Isn’t he the one who likes long hair on women a la Rose Hanbury? Unfortunately, all the extra hair we see today, is massive amounts of hairpieces. Her hair, real and fake is her security blanket and, it seems, her only achievement. Pathetic!
And she already looks at least 10 years older than she is. I find it sad that all they can report on this woman is what she wears, and drag out her “cancer battle” ad infinitum.
Before the cancer and chemo, Kate spent the fall of 2023 almost only wearing shirts with trousers. Does anyone else remember that? It was really comical with her sudden pivot from mostly wearing dresses to only wearing pants. The commenters at What Kate Wore were losing their minds because they preferred her wearing dresses. Coming out of chemo recovery, she’s mostly stuck to dresses but I wonder if she’ll go on another Pants Parade.
And to be fair to Kate, the Holocaust events are ones she has consistently attended over the years. I’m surprised she hasn’t made Holocaust memorial history one of her causes given her ancestors’ participation in WWII.
She never wore long pants over the shoes until Meghan came into the family.
Is Will is holding his cell phone (while standing near the candles) ? I think he was reading his texts….? https://www.purewow.com/news/prince-william-kate-middleton-portrait-candles?utm_source=link_copy&utm_medium=referral
Look again. He’s lighting a candle.
Oops…
Well, if he had three hands…LOL I see a phone but it’s the guy behind him, maybe security?
Please don’t call older adults old farts. Ageism is real and even a joking reference to that kind of belittling and marginalizing language perpetuates genuinely harmful — and painful — stereotypes. (Raised by my brave and beloved grandparents)
I absolutely agree, Nicki. It’s not only harmful, it’s MEAN.
By making yet again a “surprise” visit, Kate draws attention to herself. Is this what she is going to do in the years to come? Every time she makes an appearance it will be a “surprise?” I think her photography of the holocaust survivors was a good gesture. But a memorial service, why does she try to give the impression she is “gracing everyone with her presence”?
She looks good here
I just cannot stand her. In fact, I can’t stand any of them.
Another look that would have been vastly improved with some tailoring and a different hair style. Her hair is definitely a security blanket of some sort.