For whatever record, when I repeatedly called it “the fakakta statue unveiling,” I wasn’t denigrating Princess Diana at all. I was trying to make fun of the way the British press was hyping “the statue unveiling” as some big, key moment in this particular royal narrative. Well, the statue was unveiled and Harry and William managed to get through the thirty-minute private event without a fist fight. Kate was not in attendance, but the Earl Spencer and Diana’s sisters were there. William and Harry consented to being photographed together without any buffer.
The actual statue is… not actually what I was expecting! It’s nice, and it shows a young-looking Diana surrounded by three children. Which is an interesting choice. Does anyone else think that the purpose of “three children” is to symbolize the Cambridge children and not Harry’s children? I do. The statue was organized around the same time that Kate was pregnant with Louis.
Omid Scobie posted the press release from Kensington Palace, with the agreed-upon joint statement of William and Harry, plus extensive details about the sculptor and the Sunken Garden. Underneath the Diana statue is an engraved stone with some lines from the poem “A Measure of a Man.” The lines: “These are the units to measure the worth/ Of this woman as a woman regardless of birth/Not what was her station?/But had she a heart?/How did she play her God-given part?”
In a statement released by Kensington Palace, Prince William and Prince Harry shared words on Ian @RankBroadley’s statue and redesigned Sunken Garden space for their beloved mother: pic.twitter.com/00yowOFbTl
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) July 1, 2021
Sidenote: on the day of Prince Philip’s funeral, I was surprised by CNN and MSNBC’s live coverage of the funeral procession, complete with commentary on the “rift” between Harry and William. I continue to be taken aback when legitimate media outlets cover the royal beat, especially when it’s the New York Times! The NYT has done several stories on the brothers’ fight, which says something about just how many people are aware of what’s happening. The Times did a preview, published this morning, of the unveiling where the flat-out reporting is that “William and Harry, by all accounts, are still barely on speaking terms.” Penny Junor is quoted too: “It’s going to take a lot for this rift to be healed. The initiative has to come from Harry, and it doesn’t seem to me that he is in any mood to do so.” I have zero idea why every single royal commentator has just repeated that talking point ad nauseum, but it must be coming from Kensington Palace. The people inside the institution know damn well that Engorged With Rage and his angry fists will never be diplomatic or conciliatory.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Their matching bald spots are kind of adorable.
😀 yes!
Lmao….Harry does balding better. 😄
Harry does everything better because he’s not engorged with rage all of the time.
Yes he does 🙂
haha I thought so too!
Awww. It made me shed a tear. I am so glad they came together for this. Diana would be proud of her boys.
Would she though? William has thrown his brother under the bus since she died, not to mention his nasty attitude about meghan. I mean it’s nice they can come together for a split second for the statue but that’s about it.
I mean for the purpose of the unveiling. The fact that they put their differences aside for a public show of unity. For everything else, the incandescent one will definitely reap what he’s sown and I dare say he is already.
A mother loves her sons good and bad
I agree @Elizabeth Regina, I was touched to see the pics of them beside the statue. Not only due to the constant press they don’t want to be around one another but also because they are now men- fathers and husbands. How sad she is not here to enjoy watching her boys walk through life.
Seeing the pictures makes me really really happy Kate nor anyone else was there. This unveiling truly was for Diana’s sons and siblings only–a very Spencer specific event.
True. A mom loves her children, their differences aside, no matter what.
I really want Harry to do something about it. Seeing premature balding gives me panic attacks. Thankfully, the men in my family have nice heads of hair til death and the one that doesn’t, can rock a baldy and that’s my dad. But he did the right thing. He refused to walk around with no hair in the middle.
It was strange at first, because my dad had beautiful hair, but the minute he saw that tiny bald spot, he said he wasn’t going out like that.
When I came back from spring break, I saw a big brown head. Lol.
Panic attack? I’ve known my husband for 37 years, been married to him for 21. When we first met, he had long, blonde, curly ringlets, like an angel. He is almost entirely bald now, and is every bit as beautiful as the day I met him. Maybe try to see with better eyes?
@Claire, same boat as you. I’ve been with my husband since we were teens so yeah, I’ve known him with a head full of hair and now 20+ years later he’s thinning pretty bad up top, I blame it on genetics and the fact that we’ve had more then the average persons stress in our lives. It bothers him more than me but idgaf because I love him. I think it bothers him though because there are people that make comments about how terrible thinning hair is. He will eventually make a decision about it though because he said he won’t do the horseshoe look like his grandfather lol.
My husband was already balding in front when I met him. He had thick black hair and it started to thin when he was around 21, a couple of year before we met. But he’s tall and distinguished and he looked good enough to me even with the thinning hair. I figured this way, I already knew what I was getting lol.
Bald is fine. It’s how you carry it that matters. That said, when my son’s hair started to thin early too he started Rogaine immediately, which I support. It’s his choice. And he does have really nice hair.
harry looks lovely with his cali tan. i do wish he’d do something about the balding though; i don’t know why but it makes me sad.
For those commenters who are “sad” over Harry’s bald patch…you need to get things in perspective. Can you not focus on the actual meaning of them unveiling a statue together of their mother to commemorate all her good work? How they must be missing her today? Mr. Jaded had a full head of auburn hair when I met him 42 years ago. We broke up 2 years later, then ran into each other in 2015, got back together and he’s lost 3/4 of his hair. I don’t care, I love him as much, if not more, than when I met him with nary a grey hair or big bald spot. It’s the person, not the hair.
Vickyisheretostay, you have issues. Work on yourself.
it’s just hair. sheesh! everyone looks different as we age.
Excuse me? What a ridiculous and shallow thing to say about something that is completely natural and harmless. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a man losing his hair, just like there is nothing wrong with grey hair or wrinkles.
Lol what’s he supposed to “do” about getting bald???
I guess he could get plugs but that’s surgery and somewhat goofy. Rogain doesn’t really grow hair back, just slows hair loss. I would bet he’s already using it. There are some other treatments, like platelet rich plasma, with dubious efficacy against hereditary male balding. Do y’all know many men over 35?? They go bald. If any of these treatments were all that great there would be far fewer baldies than there are.
Bald men are hot, the examples abound. Plus, once you start having kids, and they bring lice into your house, one of you gets to be super smug and not itchy.
And it’s not premature, they are both solidly knocking on the school door of roll call for the middle aged, and Harry, at least, could not look more happy to be there.
Good lord, I can’t wait until one of them gets a Dad bod, and we can all have a rousing conversation about how body fat is a part of living well and aging. Then someone will say they think Dad bods are hot, and it will devolve into a conversation about how sexism is a very deep cut, since no one likes a rounder woman, but putting “dad” in front of a word apparently makes it adorable, to society at large.
I cannot be the only one who can taste it from here!
My fiance was thinning a little when I met him, and in the past year it has gotten significantly worse (and he is only 33). And he is still gorgeous. Rogaine doesnt seem to do a lot, and there’s no need to go to drastic measures for a bit of hair (as gorgeous as his is). I would hope he’d feel the same about whatever ageing does to me
Y’all are such hypocrites. You talk crap about William being bald all the time. Drag his appearance all up and down this website.
I was half way being facetious but yes, seeing bald patches of hair does freak me out and I can’t believe you could be so judgmental on my comment when you all pick at people you don’t know every day on here. Everyday people!
Whilst simultaneously acting like the woke police.
Hair IS an important thing to me and I do care that men who can fix their baldness don’t wheN women are expected to look be perfect ALL the time.
Also, I can’t relate to lice. I am African American. We as a general rule don’t have that problem, thank God.
Be consistent ladies!
There are hot bald guys, Shemar Moore, Jason Statham, loads of others. William did not bald well, he is 80% on his way to Uncle Fester, with none of the redeeming qualities. Will’s grossly inappropriate actions to M&H garner the great majority of ill will, looking like he belongs in a Smokey and the Bandit isn’t going to help. Glad to know you have that lice thing on lockdown.
Harry looks so handsome and happy. And why does Will actually look relaxed? Not a closed fist or a clenched jaw in sight. I cannot believe that man sacrificed his relationship w/ his brother for popularity. What a shame.
Interesting how relaxed he looks, right? You would think he’d be super tense around Harry, but he looks perfectly at ease. Compare that to pictures from the soccer game or from his Scotland trip last month with his wife…..
@becks1: i still don’t think there is a divorce on the horizon but it sure is telling.
Probably because Keen CEO wasn’t there and the RRs were kept at bay.
Yes, it’s so noticeable, it’s the first thing I thought, I expected Harry to be more chill (don’t know why), but Will looks like fish in water, I never even thought he was ever tense but looking at him confident and chill now, I’m like oh, so he can look like this too. Good on him, tension is bad for you.
I agree with you all. These pics compared to the soccer match sure are telling. I think something is going on, just not sure what. It just strikes me odd at the funeral they were so tense and yet here we are and they are at ease (or so they appear).
@Snuffles, l agree with you, l think William, as well as Harry, was more relaxed without Kate and the RRs there. He was probably concerned about her antics and didn’t want a repeat of the funeral preening and interjecting with her peace-keeping attempts.
Willie isn’t tense around harry because he feels no shame whatsoever regarding making his life hell for the past 4 years. That and he doesn’t have to deal with Keen tagging along making eyes at harry.
He looks relaxed because you know who isn’t there (which surprises me tbh, i thought she would find a way to worm herself between these 2 men and attend anyways). Also i assume he breathes a bit easier because there was limited media.
I do think limiting the press was a really good idea. It definitely gives the pictures a more intimate feel because there aren’t a dozen photographers and RRs in any of the shots. And I think it probably helped the boys feel relaxed.
I cant believe i’m calling them “the boys” but my brothers are 40 and 42 and we still call them “the boys” in my family lol.
It makes you wonder…. He seems more tense with Kate and he didn’t want her there. I still believe she is the main one with the smear campaign.
I’m truly surprised by this. Is it really Kate that makes him so unhappy? I know she wasn’t his first, second or even third choice but to actually DISLIKE your wife??? I would leave my husband right quick if he didn’t like me. F**k that.
I get that PW appeared more relaxed and happy in these pics, and I agree that there might be trouble in the Cambridge marriage. (Marriage is hard, trust me I KNOW). Buuuutt….. MM didn’t have to say Kate is a good person. For whatever reason, I believe she meant it. And I’m just feeling a *twinge* of misogyny here blaming Kate for the BRF drama. Was she a player? Absolutely. Is she a cog in the machine? Absolutely? does this absolve PW of all of his BS? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Kate is not Mother Teresa but let’s not get ahead of ourselves and call her the bigger problem. It’s clearly William.
@Susan yeah I don’t get the comments that are now pinning everything on Kate.
Its likely that both things are true – William hates his wife and so is much more comfortable here without her presence, and William actively encouraged a smear campaign against Meghan that is STILL ongoing. (Kate was involved in that as well and maybe she was more involved than some have speculated, but I do not think she was the lead.) I mean people on here have insisted for years that Kate can’t work more because William won’t let her, but now she’s the mastermind behind a campaign that drove William’s brother and SIL out of the country?
Harry has a good game face in most situations, its more noticeable when he does not appear comfortable and looks upset (i.e. the commonwealth service). So maybe William was able to play along with Harry for the cameras.
I think William and Kate each participated in the smearing depending on which area made them the most insecure. And the Middletons made it obvious they were smearing Meghan with the explicit comments made by Uncle Gary and Carole’s dumb interview saying that being good at speeches and a work ethic don’t matter. William wasn’t behind that. The false crying story definitely comes from Kate because she knows it’s a lie a didn’t stop it. The bullying claims from Jason Knauf are more William’s issue because Knauf was his tool. And the Harry specific things were coming from William.
I don’t think Harry and William will suddenly get along if Kate isn’t there, but since William’s issues with Kate are very obvious, he’s a bit more relaxed with Harry when she isn’t there because he knows that Harry won’t run to the media with undercover sources like Kate has been doing. Harry will tell him things to his face and that’s easier to handle than the Middleton PR show.
🎯 No royal rota, no wife with her own agenda but… also I think Harry worked a little bit of his mojo. Harry had been in touch just a bit, chatting about the football win and whatever. We saw his mojo working the WellChild event and I would bet money he worked to joke and relax his brother. Don’t overlook Harry’s people skills, he’s got it in spades!
That was my thought too @truthiness. Harry sets people at ease and on this day he probably had the grace and kindness to set even Baldimort at ease.
He’s either a better actor than we think or he really is actually relaxed around Harry. No clenched jaw, no clenched fist. Now I understand why he didn’t want the Top CEO ‘peacemaker’ present.
@Ginger I actually think the same thing to be honest. Which is why im a bit confused why meg called her a “good person” in the oprah interview. Personally i think she said it because meg is better than me and she knew she couldn’t come out swinging against kate.
I think Meghan understand how not everyone/everything is black and white. She loves her dad, the memory of him, but knows what he is capable of and his terrible way of treating her. She probably understand how Kate fears her, how she is used and how she uses people. She did not villanize her more, as it is a “slap with a white glove”, which is a saying in my language that means that she answered to her attacks in an elegant manner.
Of course Harry would not want those “happy trio” pics out. he’s beyond that.
@ennie, I agree with your assessment of Meghan. It takes a mature, thoughtful and emotionally intelligent to think that way. Bravo to Meghan. I am still working on trying to see that nothing everything is black and white.
Maybe he’s acting relaxed to stoke the stories of Harry being Meghans prisoner….since he’s been helping plant them.
Meghan knows that Kate has had to put up and keep shut about William’s Rose Bush.
Now I’m wondering whether there really is a William vs. Harry feud, or if something else is going on (Harry vs. Charles?). After all, we only have the gossip rags (which seem to operate off of leaks from the Middletons or Charles).
In hindsight, and without the tabloids to cloud my views, did Harry really say anything bad about William that would create such a big rift? He said William is “trapped” which he is, based on birth order and how monarchies work. But the rest — it was all against Charles, or “the Firm” and didn’t call out William specifically. They did mention Kate (called her a “nice person”) and the refusal to retract the crying story. Is that enough to create such a rift?
And at the funeral (again, without Kate’s spin on things as the “peace-maker”), what did we see? William and Harry walking side-by-side on the sidewalk, and Kate right next to them on the street. William and Harry seemed to be talking to each other. Then they out-paced Kate (not unexpected, since they are both taller than her and not wearing stilettos), and she ended up several yards back. Is THAT evidence of a “rift” big enough to require a “peace-maker”?
So now I don’t believe there is a rift between William and Harry — or, not one as big as the tabloids want us to believe. If anything, I think it’s between Harry and Charles (and Charles wants to the focus to be on William and William’s anger as the reason the Sussexes won’t return), and/or Kate is exaggerating the situation between William and Harry to push her own self-importance (the way Sophie is also doing). Or, maybe William is full of rage, but I don’t think Harry or Meghan said anything to upset him THAT much. So his rage could be that, now, he’s unable to dump Kate, or he’s expected to work more, or something other than what Harry and Meghan said directly. But I’m speculating, of course.
It is very telling that William looks at ease while standing next to his brother, looking on the statue of their mother.
Interesting that two components were not present: Kate and the Rota.
It makes one wonder.
But I’m sure the Rota and courtiers will twist it into something else.
@Cee — I’m sure Kate will try to take the credit for being a diplomat and peace-maker by CHOOSING to allow William and Harry time together. She’s the “savior” of their relationship.
And, for ALLOWING Diana to be the focus of the event without Kate’s dazzling presence to overshadow her. How modest of Kate, the model woman and wife.
He looks so relaxed and happy!!! I’m actually kind of perplexed. Compare these pics to the Scotland pics with Kate.. it is wild.
Me too!! What is happening? He is either an excellent actor or it’s Keen Guevara’s absence.
I feel because we are so used to seeing William angry with balled fists and a clenched jaw people are not used to seeking him neutral which is what he looks like here. On any normal person the way he looks here would just be “meh” but compared to how we’ve seen look lately he seems a lot more at ease but it’s nothing really compared to how happy Harry looks. Harry has that glow about him similar to after Archie was born and he specializes at putting people at ease.
Yeah William actually does look quite relaxed. Maybe it’s because this is to do with Diana so it chills him out. Or maybe it’s to do with the lack of rota and possible Kate and/or Meghan.
I can honestly say I think Will is drowning and taking it out on MM. I think he’s going to abdicate.
The tablods, & royal watchers/reporters were looking for drama to write & talk about for days. They must be disappointed; no drama, banned from attending. Harry did what he came for, got his way re the press, & (I bet) he’s now heading straight back home to his new baby & family.
i’m sure they’ll just make something up soon.
watch…
Maybe they did make up. Or at least call a truce.
Cue the “Kate the Great Peace -Maker Succeeds!” and “How Kate Saved the Monarchy!” headlines.
The statue.
Hmm…
I…
Hmm…
Um…
The proportions on Diana’s clothes are all wrong and don’t get me started on that belt! Also, the young girl looks less like a child and more like a miniature woman, not sure why, maybe the hair?
I went to google Diana wearing wide belts, and being the 80s, of course there are several examples, but still… the belt is on her hips, and she looked better in real life.
Also, she had wide shoulders and narrower hips, but this pic makes her look a bit weird. Maybe it looks better in person.
Cannot wait for the pics Cannot will take, but after this, I doubt they will publish them.
Yes, why did they saddle her with a terrible 80s/90s belt? The sculptor did a great job with her face, as it actually looks like her, but I’m disappointed in the clothes and confused by the three children, which makes me suspicious that it is supposed to be representative of William’s three.
Someone on Twitter has posted a photo of Diana in the outfit. The pintucked blouse, the black belt with the gold buckle. A young Harry is looking up at her and she has her hand on his shoulder. The three children in the statue represent Diana’s humanitarian work and have no connection to her grandchildren.
As for the outfit: https://twitter.com/cuteahmah/status/1410615059949125649/photo/1
That belt looks ridiculous! So distracting. And, the face isn’t quite hers. But I love that they included a little Black kid, that’s great! And the gesture of her hand draped over the boy is very Diana.
Diana wore so many great outfits, why choose this one?
The easiest to sculpt?
The picture of Diana wearing the dress used to sculpt the statue from is from her first Christmas card with the boys after she divorced Charles.
Just because there’s photographic proof of an outfit doesn’t mean it should have been chosen.
I want to like the statue more, but that outfit. 😕
I think we’re used to seeing belts more high waisted, but that was how it was worn in Diana day. I have no issue with the statue as the design would have been signed off by her sons in advance. So I’m not gonna question it.
I agree, it’s disappointing to me. He made Diana look way too bulky; she was a tall, elegant woman who was an icon of style. If the statue is about her work, then they should’ve chosen her to wear something simpler, more classic. Even the belt in the picture is not too bad, but they should have made a different choice for the statue. I like the inclusion of the children, but the sculptor was way off on the main subject. They should’ve chosen someone else. The sculptor didn’t capture Diana’s essence at all, the only thing he got right was her love of children. Kaiser’s right, it is a fakakta statue unveiling. I was hoping they’d do her justice. Will always love Diana ❤️
Yes the proportions are definitely wrong. Diana was short-waisted and long-legged and those buckled belts looked fine. See examples here https://www.dailymail.co.uk/galleries/article-9747185/How-Princess-Diana-statue-reflects-signature-style.html
For some reason the blouse and belt here are low and her legs are shortened. Did someone break into the artist’s studio and make some changes??
Yeah…well…hmmm…huh…
Yeah…the statue’s not terrible but it’s not great either imo. Better than previous Diana statues but something still looks off with the face (a common issue with all of these works). All of that hype for this result…okay then.
I’ll say it. The statue is awful. Her clothing doesn’t fit right. Why wasn’t she shown in one of her classic suits and pearl choker? The children look like miniature adults. The children look like they are trying to escape. And why is one hidden in the back?
I don’t get why the children aren’t William and Harry.
I’ll say it too. It’s horrible.
@Bettyrose – I think it’s because it’s to honor Diana and her work. I think it would be weird to have a statue of Harry and The Other Brother, especially as children because they are still living. And it would take focus off of Diana.
Yeah really not a fan/confused by the clothes and initially I thought the kids were a boy and a girl, so not her sons but generic children which I’m fine with. Three kids seems super odd.
It does seem to look like her but she was way better dressed in her lifetime even if we now look back and some of the outfits are incredibly dated. She was a stylish woman and this outfit is not.
I didn’t even notice the one in the back until after reading this article.
After seeing the original photo (thank you Vivica) I think it may have been a favourite photo of Harry’s, possibly
William is in the original photo as well. It was a Christmas card photo of Diana with the two boys.
I can’t shake the impression that it’s a statue of a drag queen impersonating Diana.
Thank you! I think I might have said this elsewhere. The belt is dreadful. And it just doesn’t look like her. I know it’s hard to get a resemblance in stone, but all that time and hopefully talent and this is the result? You’d have to tell me it was Diana.
Statues of historical figures are more often than not just a bit *off* in terms of resemblance. Example: Just about every statue I’ve seen of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If you didn’t tell me this statue was supposed to be Princess Diana, I would not have guessed it. I would have guessed “generic mom with kids” and that it was some generic public art, maybe decorating the outdoor section of an upscale shopping mall.
Yeah, I know. His other work was really good, I had hopes…..
It would have been an incredibly difficult subject though.
The statue is ok and the setting helps.The statue kinda looks like a Soviet monument, but it’s hard to capture someone’s essence. Her features look a bit harsh, the belt is distracting and it’s so stiff. Maybe they wanted to convey her strength. There is a reason why marble and draping look so good in sculpture. I think the garden looks beautiful and the message is nice. Harry looked really good and loved his interaction with his aunts. I’m glad they kept it small and focused, made it more meaningful, a Spencer family event, without the circus of the nasty Rota.
Statues of people we’ve seen in photos and on film always look weird and wrong to me, I suppose because oversize scale and lack of colour. It looks like it’s awkwardly blocking off a stairway, I wonder what’s going on there.
I hate it. It doesn’t do her justice at all. I had a feeling I wouldn’t like it. To be fair, sculpting is hard.
What do you mean?? So there were no ceremonial slap fights under the statue? Damn
lol
I’m still waiting for a photograph to release of Kate and the kids viewing the statue because we’ll definitely get something the way they wanted it out out there that she’d still see the statue. It’ll either be a photo or a replica of their anniversary video with all the make-believe sunshine and rainbows
We’ll be getting some Kate pics doing her best cosplay by tomorrow, I’m sure
She won’t last the day, let’s be honest! It Keen Guevara to the rescue of, “look at me, look at me, taking Diana’s lovely grandchildren paying tribute to their grandmother…”
There is still daylight on The Salty Island of Hypocrisy!
She just needs her three B’s, buttons, Botox and bitch.
And that will be kind of funny because anyone who is visiting KP can visit the statue. It’s not an exclusive thing lol.
I do think its clear that Kate did not see the statute “before” the unveiling as was being reported by some of the RRS.
@BECKS1 We’d have BREAKING EXCLUSIVES by Becky English if the happened lol I don’t know if KateCaroles team would be able to contain themselves
If they had, we would’ve gotten a description of it.
I would think they would keep it covered until the actual unveiling so there would be no risk of somebody staking out with a telephoto lens and getting a shot early.
It would be bizarre — she would have had to remove the covering (or have someone remove it for her so she doesn’t risk her ruining her manicure, because she HAS to flash Diana’s cursed ring during the photo op). Then pose with her kids in front of the statue long enough to make sure her photographers got a nice shot. Then have someone re-cover the statue so William can have the “honor” of unveiling it later. That would be TOO staged and phony, even for Kate.
I’ll be surprised if there aren’t any, especially with how insistent the RRs and Middletons were on pushing her presence in some form or another. I was still expecting her to pop up at the official event, but William really did shut her out. It looks really….*interesting* to have her be present at a crowded football match and then to turn around and claim she can’t be at this event because of “COVID guidelines”.
@beachDreams especially because now we see how few people were at the event. there were more people at the WellChild awards last night. It seems that Kate 100% could have been there.
I wonder if the issue was that she wanted to be able to help with the unveiling and William said “if you’re there you’re going to hang back with the Spencers for that part of it” and she got sulky and said no? Like she refused to let there be a photo op with just William and Harry and the statute?
Whatever the reason – I think its clear William told her she wasn’t going, and it wasnt because of COVID restrictions.
I really believe William banned her because she would have turned the occasion all on herself with Diana cosplay and her peacekeeping efforts between the brothers. William didn’t want a repeat of the funeral, he was just there with Harry to unveil the statue and call it a day. This moment was for them.
it’s irritating how she keeps inserting herself into things.
i’m soo done with the middleton propaganda machine.
#giveitarestcarole
They acted like cordial adults, just like I thought they would. I know some thought they would be cold towards each other but this event was for their mom. Harry isn’t close with Earl Spencer but was cordial to him as well.
The statue is lovely. I really like it.
I like the statue, but I don’t love it. And — sorry KAISER — I don’t think the 3 children have anything to do with William and his 3. I also like that the boy on Diana’s left appears to be a child of color. I’m not seeing what everyone else is seeing in the photos of William at this event. His lips are pursed, his forehead is all scrunched up, and he barely looks at Harry. I just see same old, uptight William. I like the compromise of a joint statement. And I think the poem on the plinth is a winner.
Yes, but it pisses me off that just a month ago, TOB was portraying Diana as paranoid and other not nice comments and they put out this statement. We remember what you said TOB. We will not forget how you smeared your poor mother over the Bashir/BBC development!
yeah, watching the video you can tell that will was avoiding eye contact with harry. he wasn’t as tense as he usually is, but he did look like he wanted to get tf out.
idk, maybe that’s just his resting face 🤷🏽♀️
harry was radiant, as always.
It’s been explained.
The palace explained: “The figure of Diana, Princess of Wales, is surrounded by three children who represent the universality and generational impact of The Princess’ work.
I don’t think that William looks that relaxed, whereas Harry seems absolutely fine and very relaxed, especially when he was chatting with the Spencer’s.
I don’t like the children. I don’t really think of Diana’s work as being with children. I think of AIDS, landmines, sick people, the homeless rather than children. If they are symbolic, as the explanation says, I get it, but I think I would have preferred her alone. It feels like there’s too much going on. And it was a very odd choice of outfit, very fashion trendy. It locks Diana into a time period, when her work and impact are really timeless, and I think that could have been better expressed. But if this what Harry and William wanted, ok.
They weren’t just cordial IMO, if you check out the full photos this is the most comfortable they’ve looked together in forever.
It’s making me thinking Kate is a wayyyyy bigger part of the problem and has had quite a hand in worsening the dysfunction between Will and Harry than we think.
Do you know how misogynistic your comment is? Once again blaming a woman for the problems between men.
I think that too it seems she’s the one benefitting the most from the invisible contract. Probably even William had enough of her constant need to embiggen herself the press coverage around Prince Philip’s funeral& the puff pieces of Kate were very distasteful no other members were in the focus only her. No one is being misogynistic here but it’s odd how the rota always praises her.
Remember KP removed some parts of the Tatler article even the comments about how thin she is but kept the Meghan made Kate cry part?
What about when she showed up to the vigil of Sarah Everard with reporters and made it seem like it was a coincidence that a reporter was there? There are endless examples of how she uses the press to her advantage& clearly benefitting from the smear.
@oona nope. Nice try though.
Harry loves and likes his wife and is perfectly comfortable around her. The same cannot be said for his brother and his wife.
The new york times has been disappointing as of late. Penny junior? Really?
And I actually really like the statue. I assume the children were chosen simply because diana was so good with kids and her work often involved youth. I don’t think there’s any pettiness or double meaning behind it.
And harry looks so happy! Aww.
Have you ever checked out the NYT pitch bot account on Twitter? It is worth it. I can’t stand them after how hard they worked to normalize Trump.
I’ve hated them for a while, actually. The more so because I grew up with that paper. My father did the crossword every day, my mother swore by it. It was so respected, and it’s just a mess now. Not every aspect of it, of course. There is still a lot of great content and fine reporting, BUT they sold out. So upsetting.
I hate the power belt but that was in style then. Honestly Diana wore a lot of clothes I didn’t like, but she rocked them and that’s part of what made her such a star. I LOVE the poem, and she does look in her element with the kids.
It’s not a great statue, but it has its good points. And the ceremony seemed dignified, sincere and peaceful, as it should be. No wonder Will didn’t want Kate there.
I think most statues of real people look kinda weird and thus feel the same about this one. I don’t mind the power belt though. Diana was very 80’s so I appreciate this nod to the time period. The belt also gives off super power vibes.
OMG they really didn’t let Kate attend. I have to admit I kind of thought she would be there even with hearing that she wasn’t part of it. Damn.
I don’t think the three children has anything to do with the Cambridges to be honest, but I do think its kind of weird how the third child is kind of shoved in there. IDK. Something about the children I don’t like. The actual portrayal of Diana I do like though.
And look, Harry was civil and did his duty for his mother which many of us on here said he would all along. I would have liked to have seen him throw a punch, but he’s not as petty as me lol.
LOL!
Kate tried her hardest to be there but William stood firm and I actually think that was the best decision. Kate would’ve have ruined the photos by peacocking all over the place trying to be the center of attention in her budget Diana cosplay.
I like that she is not alone, even as a statue. That Tj Mahal pic is haunting of how she lived her love life, I like that she is represented with something she loved doing, interacting, especially with children.
I like the children in theory, just something about the execution is falling flat for me. It’s the way the little girl is posed that is throwing me off I think. but I like the idea that she’s not alone like you said.
If the children are meant to symbolize the Cambridge kids, makes sense that the third is shoved in the back. ha!
However I agree with you. The inclusion of children feels strange but I do like the Diana likeness. Statues are hard to do well. Also the pose is giving me major William on Father’s Day vibes like he wants the photos side-by-side.
Lol same. I thought she would’ve found a way but it seems TOB really stood his ground on this matter.
I like the boy (in front, can’t see the back figure). The girl has a grown woman’s face…no softer planes of the cheeks and bones as would be in a young child…so she’s unsettling. Diana portrayal is suggested, not resembled exactly…definitely the older Diana. The shape of the face v good. Also definitely dates the fashion to that time.
Surprisingly large statue too, but fits the space. Pretty good, overall, I’d say
Considering that, I assume, Harry and Bulliam had a hand in the composition of the statue, I support that this is how they want their Mom remembered. I think it captures the essence of Diana. If the guys are pleased with it, so am I.
Yeah, I don’t get the idea that the children represent Will & Kate’s kids. They not only don’t look like them, but it looks like the boy on Diana’s right is black?
It seems obvious to me that they wanted to portray Diana doing something she was known for.
Those “Kate will join Brothers” “Kate will attend” articles are going straight from the midds camp. It’s like the “middletons will attend Philip funeral” articles. Midds are trying to show that they are IN, that they are a part of royal family. But these attempts are miserable and ridiculous, aristos don’t accept them, RF don’t too.
I’m with you. I wasn’t even sure she wasn’t attending until it actually happened and she wasn’t there. I wonder if her photo shoot at Philip’s funeral is what made William decide this. Because that should have been a dignified event and she was anything but with the constant posing that no one else was doing.
Will be interesting to see how the Middleton PR tries to spin this moving forward. It’s pretty hard to say that excluding your wife of 10 years makes any sense since normally she would be considered family and in the same social bubble. Plus it is literally in their backyard.
I originally thought this was a statue of the backlit photo the paparazzi took of her in that skirt while she was a teacher’s assistant or whatever. She’s holding a child on her hip in that one, though, in addition to holding another child’s hand. But her outfit is very similar and that’s what it reminded me of, and since she was basically being stalked when they took that and allowed it to be taken on the condition the photographers leave her and the kids alone, it kind of bums me out.
The press release says they were actually trying to imitate her style at the end of her life, when she was really shining and confident – which i think is why the blouse has a deep V. I think she comes across as confident here.
Agree. Would have liked to see a bit of a softer expression in her face, though, since she’s with children. And let’s face it, that period of time was not great from a sartorial perspective. In any case, this was always going to be a big ask.
@Ellie
Diana didn’t dress like this at that earlier time in her life. In the kindergarten photo, she was wearing a loose long casual skirt.
It’s a shame that KP decide to treat Meghan so abominably. They would have been such a formidable team.
Right? I had such high hopes. They could’ve attended different events together, invited each other to their own projects, it wouldve been epic and amazing, but KP and the RF had to be racist so….
their most regretful loss
Definitely. The Sussexes would have really solidified the position of the British royal family in the world but the Cambridge’s didn’t want to be overshadowed by a mixed race, divorced American actress, being upstaged by her was too much for them to bear and courtiers could not bear being directed by someone far more intelligent than them.
the boy in front is a black child, so i don’t think its the cambridges children. Phew im glad that saga is now over LOL . I wonder whats coming next . i’m glad they used the words represent when speaking of the statue because it looks nothing like her, which is a shame. he didnt magage to capture the essense of her more like the symbol of her. IMO . im not surpised the scuplture of her is masculine due mainly down to the sculptor being male. its kind of an myth that artists tend to somehow make replicas of themselves
Lili that stood out to me, too. I’m shocked TOB didn’t go “incandescent with rage” and demand that be changed! Still… the fact that she was surrounded with children, with whom she always had a wonderful connection with. The image of her with the little girl on her lap (who was a victim of a land mine, one of her last projects) will always stand out to me.
I’m not overly impressed with the statue. While I don’t think ANY sculpture could capture Diana’s “it” factor, the face seems “off” to me. They did get the hair right though. But that belt! WHY so wide/big!? I don’t remember Diana in a lot of “Pilgrim Belts”.
But it was nice that the brothers seemed relaxed for a change, and no one was clenched or looks that could kill. Glad they could come together for their mum.
Yes, he has cropped curly hair, definitely a black child.
Diana’s body was athletic in later years, when you see her in tight straight dresses. Not disproportionately skinny like Buttons.
I see the green sheet and I keep remembering Meghan’s iconic commonwealth dress cape dress from the you could’ve had a bad b*tch (YCHBB) tour 💁🏻♀️
Layla, I think this is You Could Have Had a Bad Bitch part 2, or as Hilaria would say, la segunda parte, el hombre.
Wow. Kate isn’t there and Will doesn’t look incandescent with rage. Shocking really.
The statue is lovely, with Diana being surrounded by children in her garden. What a great reveal with the guys and their aunties and uncle.
I’m glad it’s over. They memorialized the thirty-year plus Diana, which I think was a good choice. The idea that those will be the Cambridge children is inevitable. I like that it portrays Diana as tall and strong. Look for Kate to appear in this outfit soon.
She actually could pull off a very wide belt with her long torso. She should try it. Also fuller skirts. She still has no style though.
Three would have definitely been a crowd.
Great moment for Diana’s sons.
“Does anyone else think that the purpose of “three children” is to symbolize the Cambridge children and not Harry’s children?”
No, because one of the children is black. I am sure that suggestion was made by Harry.
Wasn’t this statue commissioned BEFORE he met/dated Meghan?? I know the unveiling was postponed because they didn’t want to compete with H&M’s wedding, so the artist had to have submitted drawings/plans etc WAY before H met M.
I never connected the statue kids with Cambridge’s because they look nothing like them. I thought it was only two but apparently three kids. Guess it was to encircle her with children.
I dont think it symbolises the Cambs kids,there is a statue of a boy that resembles that of a black child.
It is definitely not the Cambridge kids but l wonder why two of the children have barefeet?
I like it. Diana looks like the confident, powerful advocate for children (and other humanitarian causes) that she was.
Me too
I like it too.👍
I’ve never liked ‘pretty’ statues.
I appreciate likenesses with character, that tell a story, rather then look glamorous.
My first thought is that I am relieved it’s done. Which is a shame, to be honest. The press has just made all of this so exhausting.
It’s beautiful.
The statue itself looks better close up, they seemed to get her facial features right and it’s in a classical style. From far away it makes Diana out to be more bulky than she was in life. I don’t know why the third child is hidden in the back, but I don’t think anything about it references the Cambridges tbh. I like the symbolism of Diana with children and I love the poem on the plinth. Classy press release too, short and sweet joint statement from the brothers, and professional body language all around from the first photos. Job well done and it feels like a respectful event, at least from the first coverage. Interesting how the DM chose to blame Harry for making it a “private event” rather than COVID rules though….
I do think that it’s highly unlikely that Kate had a “private viewing” yesterday, given the photographs of the locked box and the two brothers’ dramatic drawing back of the covering…what, did William yesterday whip off the covering for Kate and the kids, then carefully replace it before today’s viewing?
Maybe they all got underneath the green cover…I’d like to see photos of that.
I like the statue. I think the take that it represents the Cambridge children and not the Sussex kids is way off tho.
To me it obvs is meant to represent her love and strength that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better and referencing the excerpt at the statue from The Measure of a Man about the measure of her heart <3
DailyFail: Brothers reunited!!
So predictable.
But there was a poster here who suggested that Wills would be happier without Kate. I think that might be true. These are much more comfortable looking pictures than we’ve seen of the brothers in a long time, imo. I doubt they’ve healed their rift, but these are better pics than I thought we’d get.
Tin foil tiara theory: an article mentioned that Kate didn’t come so Harry wouldn’t feel “outflanked.” Now we know that the Cambridges love projection in their PR. What if Wills feels outflanked between Kate and Harry? I wonder if Kate’s interference in the brothers’ feud is what’s caused the rapid disintegration of the Cambridge marriage.
Could Kate secretly be in Wills’ ear, trying to manipulate his feelings towards Harry and Meg, stoking the fires while she pretends to play peacemaker? This would go with the theory that maybe Kate is leaking all the angry Wills stories. Kate could actually be trying to ensure the feud continues. That might be why Wills seemed to tell her to leave at the funeral for Phil, and why she wasn’t invited here. Wills and Kate’s marriage could be rapidly decaying because Wills is realizing just how manipulative Kate is.
I think maybe Kate’s absence is a sign Wills wants to deal with Harry on his own, and based on these pics, that might be a good thing.
I’ve said before that Kate is the only one who truly benefits from Harry and Meghan leaving, especially Harry. I believe William absolutely needs Harry to be there for his reign. I just don’t think he can do it on his own and that’s what most royal sources say in the first place. William having Harry there, and Meghan, would’ve made it easier for Will to leave Kate because he would’ve had a team to help him. Meg and William got along fine in the beginning and most photos,videos, and even sources have said that but something changed for William to flip the way he did. Meghan made Kate look completely incompetent and lazy and the Sussexes together highlight the Cambridges defaults. William didn’t choose the right bride for his future role. Now with H&M gone, Kate seems a little more secure, even just tentatively and she’s been getting bolder in her PR trying to make herself indispensable. She’s literally undermining William by saying she’s the kingmaker and he ain’t shit without her. I think she weaponized William against H&M. TOB has always been an ass but it seems like he just went insane out of nowhere.
I don’t think your theory is that far off to be honest. Its not a coincidence that the middleton pr started to ramp up just as meg arrived on the scene.
I’ve long said that i think the smear campaign came more from kate than william. Think about it. William has always been outshined by harry, but never was that a particular problem.
Kate hadn’t been outshined by anyone (besides the queen) and all of a sudden there was meghan and she was pushed to the back. Kate never liked any of harry’s girlfriends and doesn’t get on with the york girls. She just a girl who want the attention to herself. Add in meghans work ethic and the way she’s with people and kate felt threatened.
I also think that a large part of these angry william stories are from the middletons side. Not that im making excuses for william because i do think he has a temper problem.
I never thought Kate “shined”, she was avoiding work and she seemed to have little depth to her.
Cecilia- what you say goes along with the fact that the real smears didn’t start until after Meg got pregnant and did that fabulously successful Oceana tour. That would have been the last straw for Kate.
I really think Kate is more Lady Macbeth, manipulating her husband, than we think. And we’ve theorized that Wills could throw Kate under the bus in a divorce by saying he was manipulated by the Midds, who took advantage of his vulnerable emotional state post Diana’s death. But what if that is actually what happened? And Wills is realizing how he’s been played? This would explain A LOT.
Of course William minded being outshone by Harry. That was why every mistake Harry made was blasted across the papers. It wasn’t always just to protect William from something. It was also about trying to tarnish his image.
So we are already looking for ways to exonerate Willy now that we are certain he’s going to divorce Waity.
How predictable.
@Wendy: No-one here knows for sure if they’ll divorce. Some people here do say that with strong conviction but they don’t know. And as for exonerating William, yes there are posters trying to do that but there are also posters like @Becks1 pushing back against that.
The Tim Shipman article is the first one that mentioned William wanting to send them to Africa and the fly be stunt was organized with William’s staff. So William was behind a lot of the stuff. Kate isn’t innocent at all and did her own smearing but it wasn’t just her.
Also tired of reading the new names coming in and trying to say people are wishing divorce. People aren’t doing that but speculating on what is going on. Excluding Kate from the family event is a big deal so of course people will wonder what is going on. And that’s not the same as wishing divorce.
Technically most people here probably wish that Kate and William were really happy in their marriage and with themselves and never engaged in a hateful smear campaign against their family. Most people here probably wish that Meghan and Harry never experienced what they did, having both Will and Kate leak stories against them and watch as they were brutally picked apart by the press and the public. As nic919 says, this is speculation and observation on a gossip site and most of us here wish for Harry and Meghan to be safe healthy and happy.
Remember that in last week’s “Meghan is totally a bully!!!” Times article, it was stated that Kate never liked Meghan and was “wary of her from the start”. Look back at the family events between the Sussex wedding and Eugenie’s wedding and it’s quite obvious too. William absolutely has a huge portion of blame for the past 4 years, but I’m still seeing people going soft on Kate and dismissing her role in all of this. The woman was infamous for being competitive and unpleasant with other women, including the York sisters, throughout the dating years. She doesn’t even have friends of her own.
So I definitely don’t give Kate a pass or dismiss her role, because she absolutely played a HUGE role in driving Meghan out.
i’m just not willing to buy into the theory that William is an innocent party and was just manipulated by Kate for the past decade.
Oh I don’t buy into it either @Becks1; in fact I remain convinced that William never wanted Meghan in the family and tried his best to derail the wedding in multiple ways. I just think that a lot of people still fall back on the “Kate’s doing what Will wants/Kate’s compliant because she wants to keep her status secure” narrative in some way, even if that sentiment isn’t as strong as it was a year or two ago. My point is that Kate is an active and enthusiastic perpetrator of a LOT of this mess, along with William. She’s able to hide behind him and Carole (as she always has), but she’s no shrinking violet.
Becks I think we are on the same page that it was a joint smearing effort. I also notice that suddenly we have people coming in to make accusations of misogyny and wishing divorce across the board even if only a few comments go there. Nothing is ever a coincidence when it comes to a PR campaign already known to hire bots.
@beach dreams… I agree with you 100%. Kate is as involved in the smears as William. They just focus on different things.
I do not give Will a pass at all because I do think he’s a bully and I do think he led some of the smears but Kaiser posted some pics the other day I haven’t seen before, must be really early on with Meghan around, and she and will were leaning into each other talking, she had her hand on his shoulder or something and he had his hand on her arm. they looked really close. I wonder if that set Kate off?
I also don’t think the brothers have been that close so this is all made up bs
Yeah am beginning to really lean in to that theory, as I said in my post William seems to prefer the company of his brother than that of his wife – less clenched fists and jaw. The question really should be WHO is the cause of the clenched fists/jaw? Kate and the Mids? Makes sense if they are – esp with ALL the stories that have been coming over over the past few months.
The Cambridge marriage is toast – that cannot be hidden any more. Wonder what it will take for it to become public.
If harry and meghan were still there and the Cambridges had played nice with them, william could have survived a divorce. But if he really did cheat (which i think he did). And he would swap kate for someone else, public support would be with kate. No matter what william says, its hard not to feel sorry for a woman who has been cheated on. Thats why i keep saying that if william truly wants to get rid of her he needs to start smearing her before he can even think about a divorce.
I don’t think there will be one
I do think Kate was threatened by Meghan and I think Kate feels more comfortable now that she is the only “young” working female royal.
But I am having a hard time putting all the blame on her and calling her Lady MacBeth and that William is just being manipulated by her and is helpless to stop it. Maybe Kate was behind the recent leaks to Lacey, but the leak in the Times before the interview about the bullying was directly from William. And if Kate was behind the leaks all this time, and William never shut them down? I just don’t think its likely.
What I WILL Say is that this theory – that Kate is really the guilty party and William was just along for the ride – is what many of us have said is one of the big “outs” William has if he wants to divorce her. So the fact that some are now adopting that theory as the truth is interesting to me because it makes me think if we are going to see that theory played out and that’s why she’s not there today and why William is making an effort to seem more at ease – i.e. this is the beginning of the rollout of the “blame Kate” phase.
I think it can be all of those theories, Becks. William was manipulated by Kate & Carole to a certain point. Kate catered to whatever William wanted to her emotional and intellectual detriment. Carole smoothed any rough patches between them, while also encouraging William to see her as the mother he lost. She put him above her own children and marriage, and that’s just not normal behavior, so it’s a manipulation as well. She did all those things to ingratiate herself into his life. But William ultimately decided to destroy Harry’s wife, undermine and abuse his own brother, and chuck anyone under the bus who got in the way of his individual happiness. They are all narcissists tbqh.
Wow, from the Keenest Peacemaker to Lady Macbeth – how hath the not-quite mighty fallen.
@TheOriginalMia – yes, that’s more in line with what I think is going on. carole DID manipulate William, of course she did, we all know that – but William made his own choices re: his brother and SIL.
Becks- I think you are misreading my and other folks’ theories. It’s not that Wills is innocent, or even not the driver (though I think he might not be). It’s that Kate and the Midds are clearly desperate and manipulative, and Wills might be catching on to how much they’ve lit the fire of his incandescent rages over the years.
We know that he might use their manipulation as a means of throwing them under the bus. That’s only possible because it’s true. What people are saying is Wills might just have been too stupid to previously realize how true it is.
Harry’s talked a lot about his traumas. I suspect Wills has those traumas and the Midds took advantage. We’ve assumed Wills sees that and is just as bad, but why? Will hasn’t done the work to gain self awareness. That’s very clear. So I think it’s quite possible that he is waking up to how used he has been by his wife and in-laws.
My thought is he’s realizing how much of his unhappiness is because he’s listened to much to the wrong people, who he’s now attempting to freeze out.
@Rapunzel I mean you called her Lady Macbeth.
I agree that William has been manipulated by the Middletons and that maybe he is finally realizing how much, but I don’t think that it follows that Kate was the leader of the smear campaign and William was just playing along because Kate was manipulating him into it.
I see them as two distinct issues – the Middleton manipulation of William, which has been going on for two decades by this point, and the smear campaign against Meghan. Now of course the Middletons were active in that smear campaign, but I don’t think William was manipulated into that and that’s what’s being stated here.
Becks- I did not say she was lady Macbeth. I said maybe she was more Lady Macbeth than we thought…meaning more manipulative and involved in the smears than we gave her credit for. And, for the record, I don’t believe Lady Macbeth’s evil absolved Macbeth either.
I guess I was thinking about how lots of folks have absolved Kate of major shenanigans because Meg called her a good person and reacting to that.
As for Wills’ agency, being manipulated doesn’t take away a person’s agency in my book. Manipulation, to me, is someone getting you to choose the way the manipulator wants. But it’s still your choice. Because you listened and agreed with the manipulator. And good manipulation always makes you feel like it’s your choice.
I look at it this way: Kate and Co. started the fire that lit Wills’ incandescent rage. But he’s the one who laid the kindling and sat by the flames, warming himself.
They wouldn’t have been able to manipulate him if the pieces weren’t already there to make him susceptible (jealousy of Harry, dislike of Meg).
Ultimately, my take is much like originalMia’s, only I think it’s possible that Kate might be even shader. The Middleton desperation has me convinced that either they played a serious role in Sussexit or Wills is at the very least blaming them for it.
Agreed – the “blame Kate” narrative is seeming more and more plausible to the CB community. And if we’re willing to entertain it, won’t most people believe it without batting an eyelash?
I can’t see her as being smart enough to mount a truly effective campaign, but I *have* known dim bulbs who put their everything into manipulating their spouses and spouse’s family, and they somehow dredge up a modicum of slyness and get surprisingly far along before the spouse finally puts their foot down. Having Carole’s help was key, of course, for her getting anything to go her way.
With PWT, perhaps he and Kate were both naturally aligned with putting Meghan’s light out, and so he was willing to go along with it. It served his interests too. But maybe he’s either seeing that 1) he’s on the wrong side of history & so he wants to save himself and make better decisions or 2) this is a great opportunity to get rid of the Middletons scot-free. I hope it’s #1, but it’s unlikely… #2 is because Kate’s baggage is just too much at this point, no matter how much she might tolerate his side-pieces and raging.
None of this excuses PWT’s behavior, and that’s what you’re seeing too. It’s just very, very interesting that we can see the whole story coming together. Whether PWT saw the light or just saw a way out, we’ll probably never know.
Kate may be an intellectual lightweight but protecting her turf is a skill she developed in the dating years which is what made her successful in finally getting the proposal. Meghan was definitely invading her turf by being young, pretty, thin and also way more charismatic and better at the job than she ever was. Of course she was going to push back. And Meghan is back in California, so she did manage to be successful in a way, even though she hasn’t thought through the fact that the media are still interested in the Sussexes and always will be. But that’s also a mistake that William has made because he thought he could banish his brother and wife to another continent and in a way he did, but the ultimate result isn’t what he thought it would be either.
I wonder if Megan said that Kate is a good person because she saw that she was being heavily managed/manipulated by Carole. I would’ve thought the ability to manipulate would require a level of confidence that Kate doesn’t seem to have – she seems so inept and riddled by anxiety in many of her public outings. Perhaps she has Carole in her ear constantly telling her how to think, how to behave, who to befriend. If it was like that her whole life, I can see why Kate wouldn’t have female friends and be so reliant on her family.
kukukachoo – The dim bulb I knew who manipulated her spouse was the same way: all the tactics came from her mother. She (the woman I knew) never had a chance to be a decent person, not with her mother breathing down her neck like that. More and more I feel like Meghan pities Kate. And I’m sure Kate does NOT want anyone to think she’s pitiable.
Hm. I don’t think so. I have no doubt that Kate played a big part in the smear campaign but the leader (or at least, main instigator) is William. She may have done a few smears of her own (the main one being the “Meghan made Kate cry!”) but the vast majority of it comes from William.
Oh, this makes me think of yesterday’s ‘why can’t Meghan just take the blame’. story. Maybe it is Khate who should take the blame. This is not the first time I’ve read she was wary of Meghan from the start. Hmmm, wonder what it was about Meghan she was wary of. She might have been the one to ask Harry if he considered future baby’s skin color and been behind the bullying campaign.
I still think that’s Will… when would Kate have had the chance?
This is a very interesting take and sounds plausible. I mean, William has to bear equal blame of course, but I think in his mind he is suddenly blaming Kate for something. Imagine, for example, that he’d believed her story about being made to cry before the wedding – but after the Oprah interview, he finds out she’d lied to him about this. It wouldn’t change his mind about Meghan I’m sure but I think he’d be angry.
I also think Camp Middleton have massively overplayed their hand recently with the press. Stuff like saying Kate’s pisspoor “early years centre” would “equal the Earthshot prize”. Not that the Earthshot thing is anything special, but you could see this winding William up. And that’s even before we get to “future Queen Kate and her husband, whatsisname”.
Some men aren’t aware of how their wives can be catty towards their family members and sisters-in-law ( just to be clear there are catty men& women it’s not always the women) but kate was with the Meghan made her cry story maybe William started to question things& he isn’t pleased with how kate behaved.
Does anyone really think she’s competent enough to play Lady Macbeth or Iago?
William definitely played his part in all of this. He had an active role in smearing H&M but he does not benefit from Kate leaving. In fact, he is as exposed as ever. William may have wanted Harry under his control but he did not want him to leave. When the Sussexes announced they were stepping back, it was said that William was “surprised and he didn’t want them to leave.” Now he’s down Harry who he needs for his reign. Even the firm doesn’t actually benefit from H&M leaving as they are down two workhorses and they took the spotlight with them. The slimmed down monarchy only works if the ones left are working. Now Charles is left with potentially keeping on Sofiesta and Edward which he did not want to do. Kate benefits the most from the Sussexes leaving full stop and she had a problem with Meghan from day one as even sources of the Cambridges say. Kate is lazy as hell except when her position his on the line which has always been the case.
Do you think William knows he needs Harry for his reign, besides being his scapegoat?
And I don’t think the goal was ever to drive the Sussexes completely out, they thought they should stay and take the abuse. Maybe to drive Meghan out, yes, but they never imagined Harry would go with her. THAT’S why they were all so surprised by Sussexit. No one actually thought Harry would walk.
Wills definitely knows he needs Harry and certainly none of them thought he’d leave. Which is certainly a big part of Wills’ anger right now: he played himself and is upset. He’s screwed and knows it.
Which means, if Kate wasn’t as involved as I suspect, she’s likely getting blamed for the screw up anyway. Maybe that is why I’d like to believe she’s that shady: so she actually deserves the blame.
I think William knows he needs Harry for his reign but he resents the fact that he does. Many of the those sources say that William “hoped to share the burden of being king with Harry.” Harry is the real leader with the intelligence and the vision which is why William was constantly leeching off of him. Harry leaving was a surprise but I think Meghan leaving was too. They completely misunderstood her and her motivations. They painted her as a gold digger who would doing anything for status and a title…like Kate. Even one of the courtiers said that Meg was unimpressed with royalty and that bothered them; she didn’t have enough deference. So they thought they could bully her into knowing her place and that would make her fall in line. When that wasn’t working they just went out of control.
Harry had always been there as the scapegoat for William. All throughout his relationship with Kate, he didn’t necessarily have to rely on her because he had his brother to depend on, as a scapegoat to prop himself up or anything else he needed. Once sussexit happened, it really could have been the first time he realized oh shit all I have left is Kate… I’m sure he did rely on her in a lot of ways too but if they are having marriage problems and then your brother bounces, it would just heighten everything.
As I said above, I’ve known dim bulbs who have managed to get pretty far in awful schemes because it was literally the only thing they cared about at the time. (And they also had their mother’s help…)
Rapunzel: “Maybe that is why I’d like to believe she’s that shady: so she actually deserves the blame.” Agreed. As a CB reader who’s been here since Lindsay Lohan was the major figure, I’ve seen us lightly rolling our eyes for her Waitying, and then being cautiously optimistic with that amazing engagement photo, and then watching all the no-skirt-weights shenanigans and “she’s finally come into her own” x100… so it’s hard. I don’t respect her, but I do think she’s about to get maligned to a degree she likely doesn’t deserve.
Blaming Kate for the smears will definitely be a move William will make to turn the public against her and the Middletons. It is why many of us said that if William really wants a divorce he will get one because Kate does not have a fraction of the public goodwill that Diana did and he can easily turn the narrative on her with the support of the rota and uk establishment media.
I hope I’m not coming off as blaming Kate for everything. I just think that she had an equal part to play. Many people think she is just some meek woman doing whatever William tells her to do. Oh she can’t work because There is some of that to a degree, like William telling her to sit out the unveiling, but she has her own plans and motivations. William can’t have her outshining him. Oh she has anxiety. Please. This woman has been described as ruthless for years and if William is nasty, than Kate is just the same. She has her own court in Bucklebury and her own PR hacks to get her side out. Kate had even more reasons to get Meghan out of the RF than even William did. I think they were feeding off of each other’s insecurities and the situation got out of control…at least for William. Because he’s the one whose shit out of luck without Harry (and it’s not about needing a whipping boy, my goodness). Kate benefits from Sussexit greatly and now William is even more stuck than he was before, although if he wants to make a divorce happen, he will.
Weren’t they each supposed to give a speech? Wasn’t that announced a while back? Maybe that was part of the negotiations; no rota, no speeches, we both have to look equally bald, etc.
As for the statue, the thought behind it is lovely but am I the only one who doesn’t think it looks like Diana in the slightest?
You’re not the only one – maybe it’s what they thought she’d look like at age 60. But, as you say – lovely thought to honor an exceptional woman, and nice to see it was a dignified event. LOL at the “equally bald.”
“we both have to look equally bald” LOL, dying
I’m actually really glad they didn’t give speeches. It kept the tone that this was a moment for the family and we are witnessing it. The statue is obv for the public and they have both already said so much about her. Let the image speak for itself with the lovely poem.
I howled at how you slipped equally bald in there, LOL.
Although Harry’s bald spot is cute, and William’s really makes him look like the proverbial PWT.😂
Harry looks very happy. His ability to compartmentalize is amazing. I’m going to enjoy this relative peace in the fandom until the KP leaking inevitably commences.
The children are weird… The third child seems like an afterthought and doesn’t seem visible from any normal vantage point? The way the girl has her face to Diana’s hand seems to imply a very close relationship, yet it’s supposed to be a random child, not a daughter. Odd choices.
It’s not a very good statue. I was expecting something more abstract or artistic. This looks like the typically overly literal piece that would be approved by a government planning committee.
My first reaction was “Ugh, how awful”. But ours seems to be the minority opinion!
I was going to say, the same about the boy in front. Maybe this was a real life picture? It’s nice. Although she is giving William the momma stink eye!!!
In the real life picture of this outfit, she’s looking down at a young Harry.
It’s lovely.
It’s also not what I expected but I think it’s nice. I don’t think the kids are meant to represent the Cambridge kids. I think it’s supposed to represent her passion for kids/humanity in general.
No snark from me over this. The statue is lovely and I am glad they were there together to unveil it.
Harry looks relaxed. It belies all the talk about him being concerned about the reception from the family. Banning the royal rota was an excellent move as it kept the focus was on Diana and not Harry and William.
I’ll add that Harry played this entire week really well. He’s conducted himself with grace and left William looking like the bully he is.
I don’t think these children are representative of the Cambridge kids. I actually thought it was a homage to her pre-engagement photo with the children. Also, the little boy in front is black. I like it, and I’m glad they showed her at a time when she was feeling more confident in herself and her role outside the royal family.
So glad Kate didn’t come and monopolize this moment. Harry & William look relaxed.
Do people really think that? I saw the statue and these were depictions of children she had interacted with in her lifetime.
Seeing videos of the event posted on Twitter, Harry looks great. Smiling, joking, relaxed. William…certainly doesn’t have the dour attitude we’ve seen for the past two months, but he’s still kind of operating with a stick up his ass. He’s definitely still uncomfortable and intimidated being near Harry, just as he was at their grandfather’s funeral. It’s interesting because the photos do make him appear more relaxed (and again, he’s definitely not as tense/miserable looking as he’s recently been). I wouldn’t say he’s totally relaxed…just maybe back to “normal” for this occasion.
I haven’t seen the videos yet but I trust your interpretation. so maybe he’s still being an ass but is trying to play along for the cameras?
Interesting though that he can’t seem to “play along for the cameras” when its Kate.
Yeah, that’s basically what I took from the footage (I’ve seen multiple videos from BBC and Sky News in particular floating around). William seemed rather reluctant to look at Harry too long or too much, kind of like his fussiness after the funeral. Luckily they were busy enough chatting to the attendees and the people running the event that it wasn’t *quite* as awkward/noticeable as the post-funeral walk. And Harry seemed so much more at ease compared to him.
I agree with what is on the video is different from photos. William is having a difficult time looking at Harry. I wonder if it is because he knows how much wrong and hurt he has caused Harry. Harry is carefree as usual and seems to be soaking in the moment and doing his best to make William feel comfortable. In all honesty this is the role that Harry has always played for William. Harry takes the edge off William. William seems to be allowing Harry to help him through the event. This is the same role that Kate played for William as well. As of late he has been resisting Kate. Overall I would call this a success. I’m not going to nic pic how they wanted their mother depicted. I’m just soooo glad that Kate wasn’t there and the story is about Diana and the obvious love her sons have for her….nothing more nothing less.
I saw those videos. Harry’s interactions with everyone was relaxed and animated. William looks a bit stilted, but not as uptight as he’s been recently. I loved the interaction between Harry & his aunts. They truly adore him.
Yes, that interaction was so sweet to see; you could tell that they were excited to see him. It’s nice to see that at least his maternal relatives seem to love him and have his back (the aunts at least…no comment on the uncle).
I saw the videos. Will was missing his usual “let me out of here” vibe that he sheds for every royal event. There was a moment after the unveiling where H&W were standing there and then some woman quickly inserted herself between the two. It might have been one of Di’s sisters? IDK. But there was very little interaction between the brothers. They did not gravitate toward each other. But overall, very laid-back event. I can’t see where they would have placed the Duchess of PeaceKeeping that would have made her feel that her rank was being acknowledged.
I kinda like the statue, the artist did a good job as it looks a lot like her. She loved children so i can see why they put kids there.
As for William and Harry, William looks like he can tolerate being in his brother’s presence more than his wife’s. Makes me think that could be the reason why Kate was banned – to stop her for stirring sh1t. I begin to wonder if all the ‘peace keeping’ stories are projection to cover from all the sh!t stirring she and Carole do in the background. They are both mega threatened by Meghan.
Well, you know how we’ve said that when the RRs are pushing a certain narrative super hard, it probably means the opposite is true?
William and Kate’s marriage is SO STRONG they’re the BEST COUPLE EVER – he’s cheating on her and they live separate lives.
Kate is such a peacemaker, she’s the one who will bring about the reconciliation between the brothers – Kate is the one stirring the pot.
As Rapunzel up threat pointed out, William might be waking up to just how much he’s been played by Kate and the Mids. And am beginning to think that too. Explains a LOT.
Ma Midds played William like a fiddle. I always come back to the video of her & Kate at his graduation. Carole looked like the cat that got the cream. Very manipulative. It was honestly quite disturbing. If William’s ego wouldn’t let him see how he was being manipulated, and now he’s waking up to it, whoo hoo…Carole & Kate are in for it. We see how vindictive he is with Meghan and she’s truly done nothing to him.
DU- what if this rumored lawyer that Wills cheated with is a Meg type who is helping Wills get mental health clarity? He could have someone who is helping him get therapy, etc, and deal with the Midds’ toxicity.
Would explain why he maybe moved out of Amner to Sandringham.
I’m not fully on board with that theory yet DU – William has definitely called the shots IMO.
But what I do think is that Kate has probably been more involved than we have thought all along. I think it was both of them working together.
William can hate being around his wife but also want his brother and SIL out of the picture.
ETA and I do think the Middletons have always manipulated him, but I don’t think that means he’s absolved of his actions towards Meghan.
Becks- nobody’s absolving Wills, or at least I’m not. But there are a lot of things that point to her being the ringleader of the smears, and I’ve always believed her role was larger than Wills. Wills might not have been a passive party along for the ride, but I do think he’s realizing that Kate/Carole have worked him up, and keep working him up, and that he needs away from that manipulation.
This explains so many things. I think you really are ascribing too little to Kate’s machinations.
Things that point to Kate being the ringleader of the smears:
1. The 1st sign that not everything was right between Meg and the family was Lainey’s blind item about Kate not giving Meg a ride to the store. So Kate’s always been hating on Meg.
2. We never really heard anything about a serious rift between the brothers until after the smear campaign got in full swing- after the pregnancy and Oceana tour. Why not, if Wills was driving the smears?
3. We continually hear Kate is peacemaker. As you’ve said, projection is a thing with these people and it’s probably the reverse with Kate.
And the big hints, imo:
4. Wills continues to be described as a rage monster- this is either projection again, which pics don’t bear out, or truth. If truth, which is most likely, why is this a theme? Wills doesn’t benefit. Kate does though. We continue to think this narrative is bad PR- but are they that incompetent? I think it is the spot on PR for Kate- against Wills. Cause he is mad she goaded him into this smear campaign and isn’t working with her anymore.
5. Carole’s desperate PR to embiggen herself and jump Kate to queen. She’s clearly not in favor anymore. Why not? Cause Wills is waking up to her games.
6. The Cambridge marriage is rapidly deteriorating since Sussexit…separate houses, events, etc. Why the sudden change? The marriage has always been of convenience- it’s not affairs or stress from the job they aren’t doing. It’s cause Wills has learned just how much his wife’s games hurt him.
My conclusion: Wills went along, not passively, but with gusto, thanks to Kate’s egging him on. Now Harry’s gone, he’s realizing he’s been played. For a long time. That Kate and Carole have egged him on to many things with gusto that have made a toxic, unhappy life for him. And he can’t take it anymore.
“I’m not fully on board with that theory yet DU – William has definitely called the shots IMO.”
I will always believe that the prime “movers & shakers” of the Meghan smear campaign were the senior courtiers. The the senior courtiers could not control Meghan and get her “under their thumb dancing to their tune”. If Meghan had been allowed to survive and thrive inside the BRF, 90% of the senior courtiers would have been out of a job within 5 years. Remember, one of the major senior courtier criticism of Meghan was that she retained her own USA staff/team to advise her and did not want to take their advisement. This started when she was just a girlfriend and courtiers called her Canada complaining about her choice of jewelry. IMAO, Kate and William just grifted off the draft of the courtier smear campaign.
The senior courtiers wanted drive Meghan out of the BRF just like they drove Sarah Ferguson out the BRF.
ETA: TBTH, I just do not think Will and/or Kate are smart enough to pull off a successful smear campaign of their own devising.
@Rapunzel I just think you are giving William too little agency and giving Kate too much credit, lol. And it IS absolving him to say that he was played and that he only went along because his evil wife was egging him on.
I’m not going through all your points but I agree with what Nic919 said above – both were actively leaking stories about M and you can usually tell who it was based on the story. Bridesmaids tears? Kate. Bullying? William. And let’s not forget that William was the one to ask about the baby’s skin color. William was the one to organize the FlyBe stunt. My guess is W was the one egging on the RRs about the private planes that summer as a way to discredit Travalyst.
William has always been jealous of Harry and has always worked against Harry in the press.
Now the Middletons definitely manipulated/took advantage of William and used that to their advantage, but I just don’t buy that Kate is some Machiavellian type behind the scenes who is this ultimate puppet master and William was just along for the ride.
ETA I do think way too many people were giving Kate a pass and saying she couldnt do anything to help Meghan because of William. She definitely wanted to hurt Meghan, not help her.
Am not absolving Cain in any of this, however we have all said on here that he was played by Kate and her family and just couldn’t see it. The press used to print passive aggressive stories basically calling Kate a stalker.
I think that the situation with Harry and Meghan has made him face the reality of his own life choices – he sees how happy his brother is and wants some of that.
He’s either had or is in the middle of having his ‘come to Jesus’ moment. It’s clear with how desperate the Mids are, I think that desperation comes from the fact that not only do they know the marriage is toast but they have lost their influence over him. It was the story the other day where Carole basically slagged off Diana as a terrible mother that convinced me of that.
@DU I definitely think the Middletons are in “danger,” we have seen an increasingly desperate PR over the last few months from them as we have discussed here. I’m just not sure that’s because William has experienced any kind of growth or anything. I think he’s either found someone else or has realized he’s not happy and is going to get rid of something that he thinks is responsible for that (i.e. Kate) which maybe is a “come to jesus” moment….but I think its going to end there, lol.
ETA basically I think both the Middletons and William are trash, lol.
The Middleton’s have had micro aggressions against Meghan from the beginning. Let’s start with Pippa wedding and all the PR around Meghan not being invited. Next we move to Meghan made Kate cry, Kate copying Meghan’s outfits on engagement the same day minutes after pic published of Meghan. Move to The Queen and Meghan on the Royal Train and The Queen giving Meghan a Balcony moment….remember The Queen had BEVER given any if this to Kate. Carole must have been mad and enraged. I really believe William didn’t care. He was busy watering a Rose. However after the Australia Tour things changed with William. I believe this is the moment that Carole finally got William’s buy-in to smear Meghan. Through it all The Queen and Charles stayed out of it and made things worst. Had they intervene earlier maybe things would be different.
@SamB – I was just thinking about the “battles of the asses” when Pippa was getting married and Meghan had been outed as the GF. The media spunned it as “poor Pippa, the attention wont be on her even on her wedding day” and they used that to keep Meghan awa.
I now realise the Middletons did that. They didn’t want Meghan at Pippa’s wedding and counted on Meghan’s classiness to stay away once the narrative was set. The only way they allowed her in was if she came cloaked in darkness and away from the cameras. That’s when their PR against her began.
@Bay – yes! Totally agree about the role of the senior courtiers, which I think is getting lost in these discussions.
However early their interference started, H&M’s popularity during Oceana must have sent shock waves through anyone who remembered Charles and Diana’s similar tour (e.g., CH). Everything Meghan said to Oprah showed how they tried to control her and dampen her popularity – she should be 50% of herself, wasn’t allowed to go out because of too much existing publicity, wasn’t allowed to correct lies in the press. Meanwhile, Harry’s loyalty had shifted to Meghan from both his brother and RF; he was no longer willing to play the role of fall guy for family peccadillos. When Archie was born, the Sussexes weren’t asked to do a hospital presentation – a decision that wouldn’t have come from just William – yet they were left to face all the media criticism over it, with no comment by any of the palaces.
Agree about neither Kate nor Will being smart enough to mastermind the whole smear campaign from the start. Kate/Carole had a hand in it, especially this last year, but IMO they’re minor players overall, useful but focused on their own narrow self-interest. They probably did egg on a jealous and petulant William, but my guess is he’s been maneuvered by the palaces as well.
Sam, I think you have spelled it out perfectly and what you’re saying makes so much sense. Keen and the Middletons hated Meghan on sight and we all saw them play their mean girl games at the very beginning. Australia piqued Baldy’s long standing jealousy of his brother and so after that, he was off to the races. It makes perfect sense to me. And let’s not forget, from the moment that things started to get ugly toward Meghan, it was always framed as Keen and Meghan hating each other, A catfight. It wasn’t until the Tim Shipman article in 2019 that William was put forth as the one with the problem with Meghan and Harry. Only then did the narrative change course and become all about the “brothers at war thanks to evil Meghan” with “poor innocent Kate” caught in the crosshairs. Kate and her family are the origin of all of this.
DU- I theorized something similar above, and I really think it’s true. What Becks said about projection is also spot on.
I wonder if Will isn’t really coming to see how manipulative his wife is, and her family. Could explain that weird Carole is Wills’ second mom article the other day.
@Rapunzel I think you make a good point here about the influence of the NotRose lawyer sidepiece. These emotional attachments that William makes during his affairs will supplant any influence that CarolE and Kate have or had. If the affair seems long-lasting, and the lawyer has been mentioned enough already to qualify, then that creates another hidden dynamic/influencer where William is concerned. Depending on how strong Will’s bond is with the lawyer, there may come a point where she becomes his priority. Could be the lawyer thought Kate was tacky at Philip’s funeral and told him so. Could be that the lawyer is pointing out how fake Kate was in Scotland. And maybe the lawyer just burst out laughing when the subject of Kate’s Dr. Biden meeting came up. This sidepiece could be doing a lot of harm to Kate and that is why CarolE is going berserk with the PR.
If the lawyer happens to be someone who’s level-headed & discreet that itself could open his eyes about the drama associated with the Middletons, how distasteful & over the top Kate PR is & how competitive& demanding the Middletons are..
I think Louis is still too young for William and Kate to have a formal separation.
Plus, TOB might just be tired of being enraged all the time. That is soul and energy sucking to keep that level of anger simmering for so long.
And as Demi pointed out, maybe he’s had somebody point these things (Middleton machinations) out to him.
I am totally buying into the theory that this lawyer is a sounding board for William and showing him how he’s being used. He still has a ton of issues with his brother that are of his own making, but if someone who doesn’t have an agenda is pointing out some of the Middleton nonsense, like the articles bashing Diana and saying Kate is Queen, maybe he is listening. Loyalty and discretion are important to William and the diverging Middleton PR that is constantly calling him angry or saying he needs Kate to be king is probably getting to him because it’s attacking him more than Harry ever has.
Very sweet, as it should be 2 sons coming together for their mom
Now the biggie is the Saint reaching out to meghan. What about a correction on the cry lie?.
Well I like the Statue. I thought the theme of it was a nice touch. I’m glad that this ceremony wasn’t turned into a shitshow. Seems like it was a nice dignified event.
Junor always backs William. she also slams him like she did with Diana. She should recuse herself from this.
I thought theses pictures where lovely today, it really looks like family meeting up for a family get together or something, very normal l dare say , even William looked happy and chilled , definitely was a good call to exclude Kate
she is just a jealous shit stirrer, who should be left at home in Bucks !!!!! Harry’s aunts where so happy to see him though ahhhh, not too sure about de statue though, l genuinely was a bit disappointed when l saw it, but maybe it’s Diana holding children’s hands and bringing them into her favourite garden !
It is a very appropriate statue, does not depict her in tiara and gown. It emphasized her charity work.
That is a good point.
I was thinking HM and CHarles told Kate not to go there. Maybe they got annoyed at her “photo op” at PHilip’s funeral.
I think it’s William because the way he was aggressively freezing her out at the euros even with George there tells me he’s not afraid to make that decision.
I think Charles is completely out of this right now!
I don’t know what pictures you are seeing but TOB brows are furrowed. Wouldn’t exactly call that relaxed. Or is the sun too strong? But I’m sure the rats not being there helped a little. Damn TOB, just abdicate and let these rats go on to new hobbies. They’re not professionals anyway!
I don’t think he is relaxed either, the way he is whistling while trying to ignore Harry. Yeah his ass is still clench tight. Harry looks so good and the boy in the sculpture looks black to me. I don’t see the point of the 3rd child because I can’t even see it.
Omid posted a picture from a slightly different angle and you can see the third child clearly and i think it looks better IMO.
I don’t like the sculpture, compositionally speaking, she looks like a prow of a ship – like she’s gonna fall on the viewer. Her posture, top, and demeanor make it evident the sculptor is a man. And that’s Diana’s story, isn’t it? Always told to us by men, leeching off her charisma.
What a nightmare of bad taste.
Oh dang I didn’t even notice the third child. What a horrible composition, can’t even see one of the figures 😂 did this bro even do a draft in plaster first? Did he do any drafts in clay? Did he even sketch it out first?? 😩
Excellent insights.
Yes, painfully evident the sculptor was a man. My thought was “How can this guy not seem to have any idea what makes women (or children) look, move, feel the way they do?”
I think Diana, despite being so tall, was quite delicate-looking. I probably would have thought no statue would truly resemble her. But it could have been worse.
Is the sunken garden at KP open to the general public? And of what metal is the statue crafted? I ask because I’m thinking of the bust of Abraham Lincoln at his tomb in Springfield, IL. The nose has a bright patina because everybody rubs it for good luck! I wonder if something similar will happen with the Diana statue.
It is open to the public I believe and it’s a bronze statue made using the “lost wax” technique with a blue-great patina on it as well.
Those aren’t a nod to the three Cambridge children. Two would have been too close to Harry and Williams and one would have been even stranger. (Do you go with the black boy? The girl she never had but Charles wanted??)
It’s an artistic choice to show “many” without having her look like the Pied Piper.
Charles did not want more than two children. He did not try for the girl with Diana. Diana said that she wanted a daughter with Charles (and told him) and was rebuffed by him.
I know that. I’ve read many times that Charles wanted a girl. Specifically that he wanted Harry to be a girl.
My original point was that you can’t have two statue kids (too close to her two kids) and you can’t have one (too hard to pick a single kid to represent all kids), so it has to be three.
It’s on record that Charles wanted a daughter.
He was disappointed when Harry was born.
Di admitted she already knew the 2nd child was a boy via sonogram, but was too scared to tell Charles.
Being a very little girl and watching Diana’s wedding and seeing her in the press and then the death – I actually got a bit choked up with this statue and the constant coverage. I would have loved to see two boys by her side in the statue but I am sure her boys are fine with this statue.
It’s good to see them being comfortable with one another in these pictures. I am sure losing their mother – the way they did and considering who she was must not have been easy. She would have been proud of the united front.
Princess Diana is one of those people whose essence is best captured by still photographs and television. Paintings and other mediums dont seem to do her justice. I predict technology will change the way future statues are created and will use some combination of photoshop and lasers to get a more accurate likeness. The garden itself though is really beautiful.
I don’t see Diana’s radiant smile, charisma and playfulness. The outfit is frumpy. The face is the worst. She looks like a man with a fringe of hair.
Tbh I think that statue is kind of scary looking at least in the photos. I like the way the sculptor captured the movement of the fabric of her clothing but….the face and all, I don’t know. I wish there was a way her beautiful smile could have been captured.
I get the feeling that Kate didn’t see the statue yet, or if she did it’s when it arrived because the way william is looking at it it doesn’t look like he has seen it before but I could be wrong
Nah I think you’re right. It’s pretty obvious that there wasn’t a “special private sneak peek” beforehand as the RRs claimed. It’s still rather surprising to see her so thoroughly shut out of this event. I *think* there’s supposed to a be a reception later (which Harry’s likely not attending since he’s already left KP), so perhaps she’ll try to get her PR shots then, but if not, then YIKES for Kate. Things really seem to be boiling underneath the surface over at Camp Cambridge.
What kind of access is allowed to the general public to view the statue? Isn’t there the risk of it becoming a shrine, as Earl Spencer said iirc? How much admission will be charged and who gets that money?
I’m also thinking that with the statue in KP, Kate and William will be spending less and less time there, especially to avoid the crowds who may see helicopter comings and goings. That plus the reports of them looking to have their kids schooled outside of London, it seems KP will be empty more often than not, unless they have to make an appearance in London or get beauty treatments, doctors’ appointments, etc. Kate will be mainly at Anmer/her new Buckleberry house, William will be at Sandringham/Wood Farm or…who knows where?
That’s why they changed their media handle from Kensington Palace to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge weeks ago.
Hm I can buy it. Hence why as @RNot said, they changed their Instagram handle and it tracks with the reports of them looking to buy a house in Berkshire – well both of them will be said to live there (if they move) but it’ll probably only be Kate with William popping in occasionally. I know a lot has been said about the “relationship” between William and Carole but I think if he wanted to move to Berkshire full time, he would have done so years ago.
He’s got friends in Norfolk that I don’t see him wanting to move away from.
That was kates pr, that her and the kids would see the statue before harry, strange that. I hope harry is in the air back to the USA. Willie still with the sour gut expressions, and phony smile. Sorry willie still appears stressed to me.
Im loving harrys body language here: hands on hips big smile like hes so proud of his mother here
Yes, and William’s hands are in his usual “fig leaf” position! He needs to learn new stances.
It would have been better, in terms of symmetry, to have a fourth kid also in the back. To have two in front and one in the back doing something unseen makes very little sense.
Next time you see Keen Guevara she’ll be wearing the outfit on the statue. I don’t absolve William and he while he is more relaxed than usual here, he still looks like he has a clenched arsehole next to genuinely happy Harry.
She’ll cosplay the statue exactly, kids n all. George will probably have to get a home perm just to get the boys curls right.
*snort* 😂
seems no one will ever want to use the title Princess of Wales ever again. it will be strange for another woman to use that title when in the sunken garden there is a Diana statue with the title Princess of Wales written on it. harry is 36 and he unveiled his mother statue when she died at 36.
Kate would 100% be using it tomorrow if she could.
I think William was embarrassed by the level of PR that came from Carole after Phillip’s funeral.
Maybe William just really misses Harry? It’s one thing to pitch hissy fits while separated by 9 time zones, but William must, somewhere in his shriveled heart, feel some relief when he sees Harry in person.
Agreed Nic. They both were behind it but I still stand by that it was mainly camp Middleton. Kate has many media mouthpieces at her disposal.
If Willy Boy misses Harry so much then he should extend the olive branch and apologize for all the things he and all the Middletons did to Meghan.
Shrugs, it’s a statue, I didn’t expect a replication. They didn’t need the third child because you can barely see them. Of course Harry and William look happy, they just did this great thing for their Mom and after this they don’t have to deal with each other until the next official family thing which is the jubilee. Barring deaths or any other issues, they don’t have to see or speak to each other until next year.
I am sure that the third child is serving a purpose.
The statue is supposed to be viewed “in the round”. You’re supposed to walk around it and view it from different angles to get different perspectives. The third child pulls you around.
I think they went with a non-controversial sculptor (the Royal Mint guy) rather than a truly inspired but perhaps more controversial one. Diana had better and longer legs and the shirt unbuttoned that far is a bit off. The girl has an adult woman’s face. It does have a People’s Princess vibe though.
I love Harry’s intersection with his Aunts and Uncle. Harry seemed happy and engaging. Cain acted like he usually does.
Oh, where was Kate….LOLLLLLLLLLL
I’m not impressed with the statue. I don’t like the outfit mainly because I don’t think of “casual Diana” in a pencil skirt and a button down. Now, a button down with the collar popped and fitted jeans? Yes.
how refreshing not to read about Catherine clothes/jewelry,this unveiling seems like a casual event. wonder if the Queen / Charles told William not to take her with him. they maybe didn’t want another of her fashion show or scared maybe she will cling on to Harry,or maybe she don’t have much friendship with Diana siblings.
It really is wonderful not to be subjected to the Kween. William even behaved half way decent. He needs to cut her loose. She’s a real albatross.
i think it is lovely and I’m glad they have done it. hard to believe this wasn’t done sooner, but thankfully the sons have more control now. Two of the children featured in the statue are not wearing shoes, to signify that Diana helped children from various socio-economic backgrounds.
So sweet seeing them together in honor of Diana. I hope they can work it out, love is the answer. I like the statue!
The statue is okay, I wasn’t expecting it to be amazing as I feel likeness is hard to capture via sculpture. I can tel it’s Diana and I like the idea of her standing with children. It’s a nice tribute to her from her sons.
It’s been awhile since I’ve seen the back of Harry’s head so I didn’t realize how much he was balding lol. He has more in front than William so he gets away with tricking me into thinking he has a full head of hair still.
I’ll be curious to see the video of the event (if there is any?) but I was surprised by William’s lack of hostility in his body language. No, he doesn’t look overjoyed to be standing next to his brother but he doesn’t look like he’s incandescent with rage or tense. So yeah, good call on forcing Kate to stay home. I dunno if there’s “trouble in paradise” but in order for this event to be about Diana, her presence was not needed. She didn’t know Diana and no need to see her wave around Diana’s engagement ring in a tacky manner (which I believe is cursed at this point!). I’m sure we’ll see her cosplay Diana at some point this week for something.
Here you go:
https://www.instagram.com/_althorp/
Willy really needs to unload all things Middleton. If he did, then he would be a nicer person. They bring out the worst in him.
Nah. Let’s not put it on the Midds. William himself is a reactionary little b-tch, who keeps company with people who are the dregs of the upper crust that populate the British Conservative party. He is a racist and a bigot and he can’t blame that sh-t on the Middletons, and he can frankly go f-ck himself.
The event was so much better without Kate, she would have just hung around like a spare part drooling at harry. I’m glad it was just Diana’s immediate family, the people who actually knew her, it is her day after all, not Keens ‘peacemaking day’. Anyway Willie seems more relaxed without her. Harry was a pro as always, he always delivers no matter what.
I like the sculpture, I think it’s such a hard task for anyone to accomplish but I appreciate the work that has gone into it. I’m not going to analyse the design because it was obviously signed off by Diana’s sons. They much have given the go-ahead with that design. I know people will be salty, but there is only so much you can do with a sculpture, I think they did a pretty good job.
I agree.
That first boy in the sculpture is black lol. So unless the Cambridge kids got some extta melanin somewhere recently that is not depicting them
I’m glad that I wasn’t the only one that teared up when I looked at that photo. I thought what is wrong with me? The statue and the two brothers standing in front of it. – such a statement that photo makes and everything that has taken place between the two brothers and in the world since Diana passed in 1997. The whole thing just made me sad and it just kind of hit me and everything just started coming at me. 9/11 and the resulting long wars in the Middle East, my Mom’s passing in 2006, other special friends and family members who have passed, Covid 19 and what we have endured in the US during the last five years or so. 1997 seems like such an innocent time. We had no idea. It must be such a bittersweet day for William and Harry.
I agree. She’s been dead for so long sometimes you can forget that she was actually here being her amazing iconic self.
Shutting out the tabloids and Keen, and having her siblings and close friend there, really elevated the event and reminded everyone what and who this was about.
Who are the three children? When I first glanced I just saw two children and I assumed that they were Wills and Harry. And then I took a closer look and then saw the third child.
Reading through the comments and many articles about the statue and very few, I mean next to NOBODY mentions that the little boy statue has an AFRO! I love it and clearly Harry’s influence.
lol i saw it right away .and i went looking at the headlines online and not one press mention the little boy with the afro hair. they chase a biracial woman out of the firm, and country and now Diana statue in her favorite place at KP is standing with 3 children and one is a boy with afro hair.
The child in the back doesn’t seem to fit in. It’s as if someone added the 3 statue after the work was either started or completed. So the artist just added him to the back of the girl. It’s really odd. I would love to know if this is true and why was it done. When I first saw the statue I must admit I was drawn to the boy statue with the afro. There had to be a lot of discussion about this because he will be standing there next to Diana for an eternity…..afro and all! Harry’s very thoughtful influence. I wonder if he was thinking about his future children at the time. Regardless I think it’s beautiful and well done!
The most annoying thing about this is how some in the press are trying to make this out to be some sort of peace conference instead of just focusing on the actual event on hand, and honoring Diana. These two have been at public events and ceremonies their entire lives. They know what to do for the cameras. At some point, we’ll have to normalize Harry ( and Meghan/kids) returning to the UK occasionally for whatever reason they have.
The statute of Diana brought tears to my eyes. Only 36. So young. She would have been 60. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed since her tragic death. It was nice to see Harry and William and Diana’s family together for the unveiling.
Been pondering the comments, and here’s a thought to chew on: if William was the major driving force behind the smear campaign, Will Kate out him if he tries to get rid of her?
One major thing I haven’t mentioned that makes me think Kate/Carole were maybe a larger factor in the Meg smears is that Kate has been clearly benched- father’s day, Scotland event with Liz, this unveiling, and even that football game had her distanced. Her private viewing of the statue went nowhere too.
Would Kate the buttony hyena allow that if she could stop it? No way. So why didn’t she stop it? Obviously she didn’t have the power. Why not? If Wills was so behind the scheming, I would think that Kate would have used that leverage to keep herself inserted in these events she was barred from.
Kate’s recent exclusion from events makes me think the power is all in Will’s hands now. I can’t think of any reason for that… except Wills has major dirt to directly smear Kate like Meg. Not uncle Gary, or anything Midds related, but real dirt on Kate’s active machinations.
I could be wrong, I freely admit, and maybe Wills was the main culprit. But if he is, I can’t help but wonder why Kate is obviously desperate and publically cut out right now.
Maybe it’s just a matter of time until Kate turns on Will? Do we think that might happen one day?
Will can’t throw her under the bus unless she can’t threaten to take him with her.
If a divorce happens… I think it will be nastier than Chuck and Di.
Even if she wanted to out him, would the press believe her?
Idk? At this point they both must know secrets and have leverage against each other. So it’s a stalemate and a battle over who holds the greatest dirt on the other. They are probably maneuvering against each other all the time, which is exhausting and why they both look tired.
Jais – Very good point! It makes it even more pathetic that Kate tries desperately to pretend in public there’s still something in the marriage… when you consider that maybe all along she’s known that her veneer-laden smiling is just a tactic.
How in the world could an actual peace be effected? PWT to divorce her but not give her any motive for revenge? I can SO see Kate being the post-divorce Duchess of Cambridge forever, glittering as a big fish in a wannabe-aristocrat pond, having a real future. But does she see it?
The Royal Family DESTROYED Diana…..does Kate really believe she would be treated differently? The World LOVED Diana which is why she was able to maintain her status. Kate is ONLY popular with the Meghan haters. Without William she is NOTHING! Let’s be clear had Meghan given up her American citizenship she and Harry would be DONE. Thank about that for a second. It is Meghan’s citizenship and the bonds she has established in the US that has kept her and Harry a float. Kate doesn’t have that. The British Press with the help of the RF would eat her, Carole and Uncle Gary for breakfast!
I think Kate might out him, only if a) she actually felt a speck of remorse for the smear campaign and actually thought it was wrong, or b) had the PR savvy and the requisite understanding to actually use that information in a way that might be damaging to William’s public image.
I don’t think she does. For one thing, I don’t think she thinks she actually did anything wrong to Meghan at all. I think she thinks everything she did, up to the lying about being made to cry at the dress fitting, was all excusable, and that she should be forgiven. And I don’t think she has the PR savvy of someone like Diana, who knew exactly how to present Charles’ foibles to the press in the way that it needed to be presented.
Kate is not very good at presenting herself as a genuine victim worthy of sympathy from the larger public. To some extent, this is because she doesn’t exactly have the friendliest press working in her favour. But I also think most of it is the fact that she is not very nice as a human being. She’s a colossally insecure fake ass b-tch, and people know it. She might get a modicum of sympathy, even from the posh toff crowd, if she just stopped being such an embarrassing try hard who is constantly ashamed of being common. But she won’t. That itself is her downfall. I can’t see her successfully deploying anything against William. She doesn’t even want a divorce to begin with, and if she’s smart, she’ll know not to alienate the very husband from whom she doesn’t want a divorce by threatening him.
Some statue have different meaning and represent something else.
Maybe the boy infront is charles, near to the throne but never there.
The girl is camilla, you want to be queen consort. Here let me choke you to death.
The boy behind is the courtiers and rotas, kiss my behind you rats.
Like i said, different people different interpretation.
I love, love this interview with the sculptor of the statute. I really love the statute at the angle where you see all three children and the third child reaching out. I teared up again when reading the interview with the artist. He talks about why the children are with her. My sister thought he made her upper body and shoulders look broader than she really was in real life. But overall I think he did a really good job, and I imagine it’s beautiful in person seeing it.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/diana-sculptor-reveals-why-statue-features-three-children-164326352.html
Thanks for sharing
Prince Harry was kind and well-mannered during the unveiling. Prince William just threw him the cord and Prince Harry gathered and folded it before giving it to the person who took the drapes. Prince William could have handed the cord with a bit of kindness instead of letting it go and let Prince Harry do the folding. You can easily see why the younger brother is more admirable, well-liked, and popular. The Other Brother is so entitled and he proudly showed his true colors.
I like Princess Diana’s statue. She’s beautiful and caring. I’m happy the children of the Commonwealth were all represented.
I love Diana’s statue and think the artist did a great job.
I don’t ever see W&K getting a divorce after the nastiness of what happened with Charles and Diana and the Crown made sure to bring it all out to a new generation. William will more than likely keep having his affairs and Kate will just either look the way or have her own.
As far as “they” are concerned in London, it was Harry’s choice to leave and abandon his family. He chose to leave and they think making his life outside the royals miserable will make him come back and it has backfired spectacularly for them so far.