Dan Wootton’s column was very confusing and interesting last week. Wootton claimed that from now on, we would be seeing more of the Duchess of Cambridge going solo at events and even doing tours by herself. Wootton claimed that Kate “has accepted she will start making semi-regular appearances at home and abroad without William by her side” and that William has agreed that Kate needs to do more solo events. The new energy, as described by Wootton, is more of “she’ll go her way and he’ll go his.” Which gave a lot of us older peeps major Charles-and-Diana vibes. There were moments when Charles and Diana could not stand to be in the same room with each other, and they spent the last half of their marriage doing everything separately. Well, I guess Kensington Palace wanted to underline that point, because the Daily Mail has yet another story about how we’ll see more of Solo Keen Kate, and that’s because Kate kind of hates doing events with William?
The Duchess of Cambridge is looking ‘more confident’ on solo royal trips because she finds it easier to relax without Prince William by her side, a royal biographer has claimed. Referring to Kate’s recent solo trip to Denmark, Robert Jobson pointed out how the Duchess playfully whizzed down a slide on a visit to the LEGO Foundation PlayLab, and said she seemed completely at ease. Speaking to True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat, he said: ‘The fact that she went down that slide, I’m not sure she necessarily would have done that if he [William] was there. She was on good form.’
He described Prince William as being ‘a bit fussy’ on royal jobs, and said that even after a decade of official duties, Kate still looks to William to make sure she’s doing the right thing when they carry out joint engagements.
Describing Kate’s recent outings, Jobson said: ‘She was all smiles, very confident. Kate seemed more relaxed without William, who can be a bit fussy when he’s on royal jobs. Probably more confident than when she’s alongside William. She spoke very well. I thought she really came out of herself when she was there…She didn’t have to refer to William. When you see them together, she’s always double-checking whether it’s the right thing to do, even now.’
When Kate and William do events together these days, most of the event is Kate looking at William adoringly while William ignores her and seethes. The dynamic is completely odd. I don’t doubt that Kate is desperate to show off her connection to William and make it look like they’re lovey-dovey, but William stopped playing along with her years ago. And yes, she does look at him for reassurance still, and he stopped giving her that. All of which makes me wonder if all of this “Solo Keen Kate” was even Kate’s idea. I wonder if it was more like William telling everyone that he wanted to stop doing events with Kate. And Kate just has to accept it.
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I think Kate needs to play William at his own game. She needs to stop with the googly eyes aand forced affection and be just as cold as he is,i believe things will change immediately at least in public. The palaces dont need anymore drama for a LONG time, I know a lot of people want to say Kate is expendable but Keen drama is the last thing they need now,she really ought to use the power she actually does have.
100% agree!! Would love to see this.
I thought that too, but more recently Kate gives me vibes of someone who’s being abused. The guy keeps throwing tantrums for nothing. “Incandescent with rage” is such a strong description of being over-the-top-angry. She’s the one who needs to work with him and to make sure she doesnt do anything wrong she always looks up to him first. That is the best way to break someone’s confidence. She doesnt want to give interviews because if she says something wrong, he’s gonna go nuclear on her. I think the new house to come, willie’s helicopter rides to rosebush or to trim other flowers, the separate solo work schedule, it just shows that something big happened and she’s not taking it anymore. I even think the mental health issues highlighted by Harry and Meg these past years showed her how she needed to heal herself from this crazy RF.
I think the new house and separate work etc is from him not her.
@ C, I agree. This new arrangement is ALL coming from Baldimort! This has been decided by him pleading with his father to create a new dynamic with their working relationship and CopyKeen will have to take it.
@ Duchess L, I don’t think CopyKeen is in an abusive marriage. She is an extremely nasty person and I am certain that she gives him temper tantrums as well. They are the perfect pair of jealousy, pettiness and underhanded actions to harm others.
Kaiser, I agree with your assessment regarding their new working schedule. Bitter Brother is creating the same scenario that his parents had finally come to, before the divorce. He simply went to Chaz and told him he detests CopyKeen and asked him to make her go on her own. He can’t even be in the same room with her. It’s all over his face how much he detests her and has for several years now.
She’s been doing solo engagements since they got married. What is the point of this article?
Trust and believe that Kate is and will always be a doormat for Will. He’s never looked at her in any other manner and she’s never put her foot down and demanded he do so. She has no power and wants the crown so badly she’ll put up with anything to get it. Take H&M out of the equation and just focus on Will and Kate. Notice how Everytime there together will either has his hands in his pocket or tightly clenched in front of him. Take how it’s always “sources” complementing Kate never William. Take William own words that he’s used to describe her and they come off as odd or cold or indifferent. Especially from a couple after ten years of marriage. When’s the last time you have seen a VIDEO not a PIC of them being affectionate towards each other and it comes across forced and always with a camera involved. Take Williams own words at the rugby match when George accompanied them. They didn’t look or talk to one another not even one time. And when will was asked who’s team is George rooting for. Will stated that George was on his side. So Kate will play whatever game Will wants her to play cause she’s truly trapped and is Unwilling or by now Unable to demand she should be treated better cause noone other than her momma and even then her mom will tell her do whatever he wants so she won’t be kicked to the curb
She did that in the Mary Berry thing and all it did was make things worse, so I don’t think she’ll try it again.
I don’t think she has any power at all, really. The statue benching proved it.
I am still convinced to this day that that was an accidental slip on Kate’s part. I really don’t believe it was intentional. Instead, I think it was more instinctual on her part–William goes to touch her and she reacts like ‘get your hands off me, I hate you’. I think it was one of those moments where you’re talking to somebody and you instinctively react, like a knat buzzing around your ear. She dropped her mask in that split second and showed everyone what she really thinks of William. And I’m sure she heard about it afterwards. So yeah, I doubt we’ll ever see one of those slips again.
C- i agree, frosting Will in public would just speed up the implosion of their marriage.
You mentioned the statue benching and that followed Kate trying to use Phil’s death for good PR and attempting to force Harry and Will to reconcile, which clearly did not sit well with either brother.
So I agree, I don’t think Kate’s trying Will’s patience right now or trying to power play him.. if she was, I would think she wouldn’t be doing so many events (for her).
She does have power,how can she not? Maybe she doesnt know how to utilise it or maybe she doesnt stand up for herself long enough to be taken seriously. But if she did decide to go scorched earth and not give a damn she has a lot of power. Sadly they all know how much all this means to her and thats how they pull her strings.
I think if the palaces can get the public to at least accept Camilla by concentrated campaigns to rehabilitate her, it will be very easy for them to prop up William and steamroll Kate if she chose to do that. I don’t think she’s imaginative enough though nor would she be able to deal with the consequences. And she’s got some skeletons in her closet too, from her family.
I agree that the shoulder flinch was instinctual and not intentional, but she didn’t get benched for the statue unveiling because of that. It happened after the multiple Kate the kingmaker articles and when she went “undercover” to the vigil with a camera nearby and likely the real trigger was when she turned Philip’s funeral into a one woman fashion shoot, something that no one else there was doing. She was notably off to the side in so many of the photos to get a solo shot whereas the actual family was nowhere to be seen. The lack of class to do this at a funeral was Kate’s own doing so we can’t say she doesn’t have agency in her own actions.
Noki, I agree, she does have power – she just doesn’t know how to use it because she (and Carole) wants to be Princess of Wales so badly.
Literally the ONLY thing Will has going for him and that sets him even remotely apart of Charles is that he’s got a great family-man image for those who don’t pay attention too closely. Earthshot flopped, none of his other projects made a blip really because he doesn’t care enough to give them attention.
Kate and the kids is the only thing he’s got, otherwise he’s just like his dad and doesn’t even have the work to show for it.
She just needs to figure out how to harness this power.
Kate has power, but not in any way that would get her anything she wants. We have to remember Kate never wants to work. A divorce wouldn’t leave her with minimal funds for her lifestyle. She needs William the most. He would be fine without her. She would never if she continues as she wishes.
So, in that way, Kate has no power by her own design.
I concur on Kate’s soft power due to her proximity: it helps she is aware of William’s triggers and have convinced him so far that he needs a “nuclear ”
family to distinguish himself from his father, in order to have a successful future reign, eg. Rebecca English’s item about the Cambridges desire to move into Berkshire, Windsor specifically. English infered when “they” instead of “he” will ascend the throne.
As long as he occupies that specific space psychologically, she is safe and he is miserable and indifferent. (The tables can turn if he ever have an emotional affair.)
But should there be a need for transparency – leading to an admission as to his failures as head of a rf household, she will be up the river in a boat without a paddle.
W’s public rejection of K’s perfomative affection garners her sympathy and
aids her image as the “innocent” victim. Playing him at his own game would suggest she’s hurt whereas her “googly” eyed approach suggests she’s past that and is possibly scheming to make it difficult for him to discard her.
Acting all adoring in public while he’s ice cold keeps her as the sympathetic one. The loyal wife with the unkind husband. William could paint himself as the wronged party because he’d have the entire force of the British media behind him, but Kate’s googly eyes will make it a little harder.
Sometimes I think he ( W) tries to do pda he’s just awkward as he** . As for the solo events it’ll be nothing more than constant talk about her outfits . But she does seem more comfortable w/out W and with other men .
Thing is, people pay more attention to Kate rather than William. So it’s okay if he’s being all cold because no-one really cares about him but if Kate acts cold, people who see a picture of them will pick up on it and comment. Remember the infamous shoulder shrug??? That was picked up by a lot of people while the many times William acts cold isn’t.
And it’ll basically show all isn’t well with them and I think Kate at least wants to keep up appearances so people don’t pry and look too closely at them.
Kate is not a nice person. The way she behaved with Meghan was dreadful. I don’t think she is a victim. She wanted to marry William no matter what.
Yes, l don’t know why she acts so anxious to please him in public, unless it is all an act for the cameras. As far as I am concerned Kate should have the upper hand and power in this relationship and l heard that in private she rules the roost. So maybe she is playing the long game by pretending to be the meek wife willing to do her husband’s bidding.
It’s all an act for the cameras. Nothing about kate in public is real. The few times we get an honest reaction it is eye rolling or impatience at hearing about Harry and Meghan.
Kate has no power in the relationship. William will be king no matter what, and the royal family has shown that it will cast aside people (*especially* married-ins) if they want to. The only thing that protects Kate isn’t necessarily related to Kate herself, but William’s ego — he wouldn’t want to be seen as having made a mistake in picking Kate. William seems like someone who will never admit to being wrong about anything. So he’d rather suffer being married to Kate than admit a mistake. If he ever gets totally sick of Kate, he will marginalize her, it’s all within *his* power, not hers.
The difference between Kate and Diana is that Diana was an aristocrat, so people were naturally awed by her rank, but *especially* if she remained in the royal family. Plus, she had that “it” factor and was good with people. Poor Charles would have always looked bad in comparison. But Kate is a commoner, totally lacking in that star quality, and has no people skills. People will not be more eager to meet Kate than William. Sure, Kate’s (sometimes hideous) outfits are the draw for the camera, but I cannot image a CEO, or a Director of a charity, or a school teacher, etc., wanting the chance to meet commoner Kate over William.
Kate also has thrown her sister in law under the bus in a very callous way and a large segment of the population won’t overlook her Karen ways. Diana might have planted a few mean stories about Fergie but Diana was never part of an orchestrated smear campaign that drove her away.
And Kate’s bitch face at the commonwealth service is video evidence of her shallow and petty nature, which she showed everyone during a church service. Only blind royalists will think kate deserves sympathy.
Kate knew that getting rid of harry and Meghan would make her even more valuable to the firm, hence why she tried so damn hard to exile Meghan. But also Kate’s greatest success in life is that William chose ‘her’. Without being seen to be the perfect wife she literally has nothing. She needs to show the world just how in love she and her husband are as a way to validate her desirability.
Kate likes to live her dream life through the media cos she knows her reality doesn’t match up.
Interesting take. Could be the “slimmed down” monarchy requires it. There are very few working royal now especially ones that aren’t elderly.
I’m not saying she will suddenly turn brilliant at the job. But I wonder without William around will she’ll become more relaxed and natural and not look like a coked up hyena in front of the cameras.
Without William with her, she went down that slide and started in on the Broody talk. I don’t see much difference.
Yeah clearly stuffy William has been holding Kate back and from achieving her true potential. Just think of her doing it her way entering events solo via a gigantic royal slide, manic smiles and jazz handing galore!
Exactly. That “Royal slideshow” was embarrassing.
Like this should be embarrassing. She went down a flipping slide. If that’s her big accomplishment during what was supposed to be a learning/fact finding visit to real foundations, then she failed. This is so sad.
Ke-rist on a bike, the woman visited another country on a ‘fact finding’ mission (I use those words very loosely)
And all her supporters can talk about us she went down a slide 😂😂😂😂
Jesus wept!!
THIS! What facts were found?? What *specific* lessons were learned? Forget the children. All we learned is that Keen knows how to slide down a slide, apparently.
Question — does anyone here know what the palace’s reaction to the slide stunt was? I read somewhere that courtiers were embarrassed, but don’t remember the source and idk how reliable it was, anyway. Was there talk about it last week and I just missed it?
I could see it going either way, I guess? Kate stans loved it, but on the other hand, it ended up dominating coverage of the trip which was not the aim of the “tour.”
dido, no, no, we also learned that she’s late for every engagement. These engagements were scheduled, so she knew exactly what time she was supposed to be arriving. She was offensive and insulting to do this. If her intention was to let her feelings known, job well done. That’s something she had control of and I can only conclude it was done deliberately. She’s 40 years old for God’s sake. I don’t know what her game is here beyond embarrassing the Firm.
@Saucy&Sassy – I read Kate was supposed to go there via private plane, but switched to commercial at the last minute, and the commercial flight was late. If so, the tardiness wasn’t really her fault. But it made me wonder whether William refused to allow Kate to fly private, and *made* her switch to commercial?
@MrsK – that works for the first event, but she also was apparently late for the events the next day (including meeting the Queen.)
Mrs.Krabapple, iirc, the article written by a journalist in Denmark stated that she arrived in the country 2 hours before her first engagement. The plane she took to get there wasn’t the problem. If someone read something else, please correct me.
Ouch
Wooton throwing so much shade I can take off my sunglasses
This is exhausting. Wootton, who is Bulliam’s mouthpiece, specifically compared the Cambridges to Chuck and Diana’s separation while married. Jobson, who is Chuck’s mouthpiece, calls Bulliam fussy and points out how Khate constantly looks to The Fussy Brother to see if she’s doing the right thing. No matter how “confident” she is on her own during solo photo ops, he’s still calling the lipsticked pig, a pig. So much spaghetti being thrown at the walls … is none of it sticking??!! I find myself yearning for that scenario they tossed out a few weeks ago where Khate wouldn’t be doing much royal work for the next 10-15 years, while focusing on the kids.
Despite Wooten bragging that he is the one to officially announce the separation–er, I mean, Kate’s I’m All Grown Up Now and Going Solo future, Jobson sure jumped on the bandwagon pretty quickly there, echoing that they are better apart. The rota must be dying to expose the cracks in the Keenbridge’s dead marriage. Jobson’s comments that Kate is always double-checking to see if she is doing the right thing flies in the face of the Middleton’s hype that Kate is the strong woman, ready to be Queen.
Yep. The alliances that W/C/C have been cultivating, shoring up and enabling at the Fail firmly put their fingerprints all over these stories. CarolE has lost this round of GoT. Feels like Khate’s being hung out to dry.
There was an article in The Fail over the weekend that Kate was descended from goat farmers, complete with a picture of her petting a friendly goat. Nothing reads Future Queen more than goat farmer so perhaps the Fail has orders to start emphasizing that Kate was never made out of the right stuff to be Queen. .
@ C-Shell, yes, I agree with your comments. CopyKeen and CarolE were put on notice with Cowmilla as the next QC, not CopyKeen. CarolE didn’t expect the announcement from TQ and she has no more games to play except that CopyKeen is Baldimorts only hope for becoming king a she is the one that keeps him balanced. We all know that is BS as Baldimort does as he pleases, doesn’t have to work and Chaz doesn’t care, as it’s less of on inconvenience on him.
The only event she was ever good in was the 2013 Christmas children’s hospice. It was like watching a different person and I wondered if it marked the turning point for her. Of course, it didn’t, lol. I always wonder about that. It showed she can do well if she tries, and she just doesn’t care.
Theory: they realized the joint events were making the awkwardness in the marriage too obvious. They’ve also realized that it’s true Kate is more comfortable alone. This solves both problems.
This is also probably the next chapter unfolding of the divorce story.
Part 1- Will the Statesman preparing for Kingship, check.
Part 2- Kate is the shy country girl who just wants an AGA, but is keen to step up for crown and country, check.
Part 3- Kate takes on more duties, this story.
Part 4- Kate fails at duties and sad Will and Kate are forced to break up for duty because Will needs a better helpmate to serve England, and he loves Kate but the stress of his position ruined it, future story.
I’m calling it- this is what’s unfolding right now and how the divorce will be spun. Everything will be blamed on Kate being not up to the expectations of the marriage, even Will’s obvious disdain (which is probably due in part to that anyhow). Expect to here stories of how challenging it is for her to fly solo, and how hard she’s working and struggling.
It’s funny to me because I genuinely don’t see a difference between solo kate and kate with william. You know when i do see a difference? When william has solo events. HE visibly looks more relaxed and laughs more when she’s not with him.
@Chloe, exactly! It’s Will who actually does better alone. Neither of them have “it” but Will’s jaw certainly relaxes and he actually seems to have a pulse when he does solo engagements.
Agreed! Willie apparently detests her presence!! He has certainly stopped playing the loving and devoted husband the past few years.
I think it’s pretty clear that he is embarrassed by her performances.
Totally agree.
Yep Rapunzel, I think you’ve called it.
Throw in “grown apart/changed from their university days”, “distance due to residing separately due to their differing duties”, etc.
And it’s going to be looooong.
I think you’re pretty much right on the money. We are being prepped to see fewer and fewer joint events, to see more of Kate “stepping up” solo, and when that fails, she will realize she will be happier as a simple country wife and that she’s not cut out for royal work.
I don’t think we’re going to see a divorce anytime soon, but I imagine there’s a 5 year plan for it.
@Chloe to me the big difference for Kate solo is that she isn’t constantly sending Will those fake lovey-dovey looks, but overall I don’t see a huge difference in how she interacts with others. I do agree that william seems more relaxed on solo events.
@ Becks1, do you truly think it will take 5 years to carry out the planned divorce? I ask as Willie isn’t one to want what he wants but must be made to wait for it. I don’t see Willie waiting especially since he may have found the “one” as he is apparently quite smitten with his London side piece. I have never taken Willie as someone who is willing to wait on anything that he has wanted.
Oh I don’t know if its going to be 5 years, lol, just that I think all of this is very likely part of a long term divorce plan and that it is all being very carefully managed – from the Windsor house-hunting to the emphasis on “solo engagements” etc. I think this is part of an attempt to avoid a War of the Wales 2.0, this is about setting the stage for what looks like a very natural separation.
And if all else fails, they can claim the stress of Harry and Meghan leaving/working/getting awards/incorporating in Delaware/etc, was too much for their marriage! So it’s all *their* fault!
I’m not betting against you. 😉
I agree this is clearly a long view setup for a separation narrative. The are separating duties and appearances first.
If the public then clamors for “more Kate” she has a chance of being kept on, if the public shrugs and the press just stops covering her, and simply keeps the focus on William, she’ll be pushed out more quickly.
She doesn’t even need to fail, she just needs to keep being her boring, nothingburger self to be gently but firmly pushed out and set aside.
He really made a mistake in marrying her. He should have stuck to his guns in the break-up. As Harry demonstrated, marrying a bit later in life, when you’re more settled and you know yourself is a big plus nowadays.
The public hardly care for Kate when she’s actually with her husband at an event, let alone if she’s out by herself. I definitely agree that this is a test by the Palace(s) to test the public’s reaction to this new set-up. If Kate doesn’t earn enough brownie points for the Monarchy with her new solo ventures, then she can kiss bye bye to the crown. William was an idiot to cave into the pressure, but I absolutely love the fact that he’s trapped at 40, while Harry is living freely with his beautiful family. Harry proved that nobody needs to rush anymore when it comes to marriage, we live in a different society now. People are getting married much later and having families much later and it works out for them all the better. William caving in because he was approaching 30 without a wife or heir was so dumb. It was only 2011, not 1981…
I’m not sure that the separate engagements thing has been done as a prelude to setting up Kate to fail/prelude to divorce. After all the RR consensus seems to be that Kate is better without William. However I DO think that the separate working is following the fact that their lives are now largely separate. It makes everyone’s life easier if they don’t have an extra layer of organisation and deception in getting Kate and William ‘together’ in secret before a joint engagement. They learned that much from Charles and Diana having to meet in random lay-bys to get into the same car before heading to something.
I agree and TOBB’s vehement denial of a 4th child to his wife quite publicly just underscores how much he wants *out*.
“… When you see them together, she’s always double-checking whether it’s the right thing to do, even now.”
Yeesh. Marriage made in heaven, that.
That part really stood out to me as well. If she’s still constantly checking for his approval, it sounds like he’s always been judgmental and critical (to an extreme) of her actions while ‘working.’ That’s not normal.
That was my take, too.
It seems like the inmates are going after each other in splendid fashion. Totally normal, nothing weird about this at all.
Maybe she does worse if he’s there to nitpick everything she says and does. I fail when people do that to me too.
Yeah, that really doesn’t make William look good. He’s “fussy” on engagements and is critical of her? After 11 years he doesn’t trust her to carry out some royal duties without criticism?
William sounds like a total a**e. These engagements are not exactly rocket science and, ironically, he’s the one that comes across as an oafish bore.
Double checking to see if your doing the right thing only says ‘incandescent with rage’ to me.
This is the same woman who asked this dude, on their wedding day, after the church ceremony, in a carriage, ‘Are you happy?’.
It was pulling teeth to get a peck on the lips on the balcony after the fact.
The constant need for his approval ain’t nothing new.
Compare that to Harry telling his bride how lucky he is…in the middle of the fricken ceremony, lmao.
I’m starting to feel like Dan Wootton is more a Middleton mouthpiece than a Cambridge one.
Chloe, Ikr, Willi didn’t always treat her this way in public. There was a definite turning point last year. I keep wondering if he found out something about her–and coupled with her continued incompetence at engagements–he’s done.
It is history repeating itself except….she wants to stay married. She is doing everything to stay married and I do not doubt William is just being awful and is driving this thing. Of course the monarchy would like them together and lovey dovey but William is acting like a spoiled brat and unable to fake it.
Tinfoil tiara time but I have been wondering if there is another factor in play here to William’s attitude to Kate over the last 18 months. Harry has talked a lot about the damage done to him by Diana’s death and it’s not a leap to assume that William – albeit older and cosseted as the heir – was also badly affected. I’ve always thought that CarolE absolutely exploited his unsurprising longing for maternal affection with her head on lap cuddles and her cheese on toast. He was very young when he and Kate started dating; naive, not very wordly and easy to manipulate for an older woman who we’ve seen pulling the strings on her own children for social gain. What a prize to fall – literally – into her lap.
But William isn’t 20 any more and he saw what Harry got with Meghan and had his three year affair with Rose and, probably/possibly, has been seeking his own mental health therapy. Could part of his obvious resentment towards Kate be because he is now old and wise enough to realise how much he was reeled in by CarolE? Certainly those ‘Palace sources’ always seem to hate her guts and we know the aristos do.
When you look at Katie Keen now, over a decade in and still ‘learning the ropes’ he must be feeling he was sold a pup.
We don’t know how long his affair with Rose was. She could have been the shortest of his dalliances.
And while I’ll concede the loss of his mother affected him greatly, he still as an adult sided with his father and called his mother a paranoid liar on video.
He looks out for himself.
What’s that saying… you stop maturing at the age you become famous? This feels true for him.
The Hence, I think you’ve got it and you have not put a step wrong. William was clearly and obviously traumatized by his mother’s death and was young. CarolE must have insinuated that her keenest daughter would keep up the comfort. I think you’ve explained it very well. If I had “married” each and every thing I needed at age 20 — tragedy. I think W. has to find his own version of Camilla.
@The Hench – ITA that the Midds sunk their hooks in him quite ruthlessly, with a facade of caring. He must have been somewhat traumatized by Diana’s death, and as I’ve said before there might have been an element of rebellion against his (Camilla focused) father and family to publicly question his birth and position and side so openly with the “middle class” (Carole and Gary are so so vulgar, it couldn’t have been anything but “nostalgie de la boue” that kept him there)
I also agree that a close friendship (as C&C would put it) with an aristo woman might have shown him what he has given up – and his brother making a successful leap to independence has shown him he is unquestionably trapped.
But kudos to the palaces for trying to sell a conscious uncoupling: it’s too transparent and heavy handed, but at least it’s not the War of the Wales 2.
@The Hench, what do you mean by “head on lap cuddles”? Please let that be something other than what it sounds like. Oh just yuck.
I think they’re setting her up to take the fall. We had all these stories about Kate the Kingmaker, propping up William and being the rock of the monarchy, William can’t do anything without her and he relies on her to change his diapers. Now they’re saying that Kate doesn’t like being near William because he’s fussy?
This is not Kate’s PR by a long shot. The narrative isn’t “she’s taking more responsiblity to support William and be a peacemaker between the brothers and Top CEO of piano recitals,” it’s “she’s taking more responsibility because she’s better off WITHOUT William.”
Combined with the whole “move over Mutton, there’s a new Fashionista in town!” it feels like they’ve put a noose around her and it’s slowly tightening.
Erm .. “she’s more confident when her husband isn’t around” isn’t the message they think it is.
Right?! YIKES.
I agree with you, it’s not the statement they think. But is setting up photo-ops really confidence? The slideshow was desperate and very un-royal.
Cinders, but I don’t buy what they’re selling here. Let’s remember how she was with Dr. Biden. William wasn’t anywhere around. Then there’s Denmark. William wasn’t anywhere around. Maybe someone is throwing a dog a bone by giving her a reason why she’s so bad at her job. I’m not buying that she’s looking to him for approval either. I’ve always believed she kept expecting him to look at her and she wanted to make sure that she would be looking at him at the same time. She is a 40-year-old woman. She’s a manipulative and mean 40-year-old woman. She works the bare minimum, and the woman has the best compensation package in the world. She must get 9 months of the year off going by her work numbers. How can she be so nervous when she’s off living her life exactly as she wants most of the time? No, I’m not giving her an inch. She and her Ma Mids have been using the media for Keen’s gain for years. They did that at the expense of Meghan. She’s not a child and we need to remember that.
They both seem more relaxed when the other isn’t there.
My take is Bill cannot stand Cathy playacting for her photographers. I’m sure he finds it embarrassing and that is why he won’t look at her and now doesn’t want to appear with her.
Embarrassment is just a symptom, imo. He’s completely checked out and is now refusing to play “happy couple” with her. I really don’t think she’s ever going to be queen. I know many still think he’d never divorced her but this is not a “separate lives” situation like his grandparents. They had basically been separated since at least the 70s but they clearly still liked and respected each other. Willnot and Cannot are looking like his parents in the early 90s. Only difference is, Diana was on the same wavelength as Charles, no interest faking it for the cameras. Kate’s going to hold onto him for dear life but I don’t see him being able to endure another 60 years of this. Not when Harry’s happy and married to the love of his life.
I totally agree. I think what we’re seeing is slippage — actual feelings coming through. The idea that their public behavior is just a performance for some calculated purpose (i.e., Kate making it harder for Will to leave her because she seems to adore him) is unlikely for the average person to pull off. It’s incredibly difficult to manage self-presentation in a manner like that, especially in public events where there are multiple competing demands on their attention. They seem more relaxed without each other because they are more relaxed without each other. Probably because their marriage is in the toilet.
“Not when Harry’s happy and married to the love of his life.”
This. Before Meghan I think Will would have been willing to put up with Kate and the circumstances of a less than ideal marriage. Meghan showed pretty, interesting women were willing to marry into the royal family. And his affair with Rose showed him also there were much better, more appropriate partnerships out there, and that other women found him attractive.
If going solo means he ramps up the number of engagements he does, he could build a more solid reputation as the future king, and the family man image will matter less. And if he takes George with him to various events, he can begin to establish “a divorced dad” persona.
There’s no way I see them NOT divorcing sometime in the next few years.
@Windyriver This right here. I’ve been saying this for a while now. He needs to make his “family man image” completely irrelevant to his role as king. He’s been too dependent on it out of sheer laziness when all he needed to do is work. The queen is it known for her marriage for 70 years, she is respected because of her “duty to the crown.”
Agreed, Windyriver. I think Willnot has always thought, whether he admits it or not, Harry would at least be miserable too. He can’t deal with the fact that Harry said, “Nope!”
When the Sussexes were around l think it was Kate who made Billy hold her hand in public, as soon as the Sussexes left they stopped holding hands.
Robert Jobson just exposed one of the reasons why many of the press and stans hated Meghan. She was too confident and competent on engagements compared to the future Queen Kate. This is also an admission that all is not well in the Cambridge’s marriage.
And she had a husband who looked back at her with affection and not disdain.
Nothing exposes racists and a racist system faster than their reactions to talented confident non-whites. 🤮😡
The events they both attend are the ones that gets the most coverage because they can easily fabricate a narrative eg the baby talk also William doesn’t get that much coverage when he’s on his own so not sure it’s a good idea
She’s really pathetic with the baby stunts she’s been pulling and if I were William, I too would be pissed. Why does she feel the need to discuss these things with strangers and in front of reporters. So the press can have a story? So he feels pressured by the public to have another baby? To make him squirm? It’s just so weird and it’s something she’s done on almost every recent outing of theirs. And mind you, she does this while dressed up either like his own mother or his brother’s wife. It’s tacky, creepy, and it’s rude. And you can imagine the dragging Meghan would get it she was the one out there informing random people at an engagement every time her uterus quivered. Like, come on.
Keen has 2 approved ‘impromptu’ responses, ‘she is feeling broody’ and ‘oh, George and or Charlotte will be so jealous he/she missed this because he/she are keen about (fill in activity)’.
She talks about having babies as if it’s like acquiring another doll. And seeing as how William isn’t interested in having another baby, that she keeps going on about being broody just seems weird. It’s not cute despite the media spin and really shows an immature attitude.
My husband would get so mad at me if I kept looking at babies and then at him and saying “I want one but he says no.” I admit that I wanted a third more than he did, but we did ultimately decide jointly that we were done after two and it would bother him if I kept implying that he was the one who was saying no to my wish for a third child, when it was a joint decision.
I may be recalling things wrong, but hasn’t she done solo gigs in the past? They did a lot together, but he wasn’t always at Mutton Button’s side. The whole nonstop ‘working’ together seemed to start at some point when Meghan came along, and really seemed to ramp up after H&M left as working royals. It always struck me as the palace putting them out in the public together in an attempt to show that their marriage was strong, because being Diana’s son and Chuck’s heir and being in the stable marriage his parents didn’t have is about all Elegant Bill has going for him.
But the marriage didn’t appear strong, because Mutton Buttons and Bill look so awkward together (and he looks miserable most of the time). So now they’re giving up and going with more solo engagements. I still don’t know if Bill will ever divorce her, and Ma Mutton is not going to let lil’ Buttons go out quietly.
You are not recalling things wrong. She used to do a fair amount of solo engagements, it wasn’t a big deal, and while the first round of “firsts” got attention (Kate’s first trip abroad without william – a day trip – got a lot of attention, stuff like that) but she attended evening events without him, local events without him, etc.
I think when Meghan came along, she and Harry started out doing events together but M still did a lot by herself, but Harry also WANTED to support her so he “tagged along” to things like the Together cookbook launch, it never felt forced, it always felt like they wanted to be together so joint events. And that’s when W&K started doing them more regularly but what REALLY stands out to me is post Interview (one year ago today!), then joint events with the two were more common, which I think was to “protect” Kate from questions or “What.Else.” situations lol.
so that’s why this whole emphasis on Kate doing solo events now is weird. Why wouldn’t she be doing solo events? She did them before.
Tigermcqueen & Becks-
No, this isn’t weird at all. The original story focused on how they would separate engagements on a joint tour. They are doing a joint Caribbean tour this month. So this story was put out to explain why they won’t do any or many joint events on that tour.
It’s because Will can’t stand her and doesn’t want to do joint events on tour.
Good point Rapunzel. This is about setting up expectations for the tour and to not expect them to do many joint engagements, which will of course be better for Kate because William is so “fussy.”
It almost feels Kate was told there wouldn’t be that many joint engagements, and she got mad so is now stamping her feet via the press and saying “fine! I don’t like doing events with you anyway!”
I’d refuse to do engagements with her too if she was planning on going down a child’s slide and in general putting on a clown show. I think he has tagged along with her to be sure she isn’t asked or try to answer questions about racism/Andrew.
So he ignores her but they are both scheming against H&M? So are they a good team or hate each other? My experience in life says it can only go one way.
Once the Sussexes left, Kate became a liability.
Most of the press said that the time leading up to Sussexit brought them closer together, e.g. all of the scheming to get rid of H&M gave them something to do together. Now that H&M are out, they’re back to hating each other. I also think that a lot of the animosity has to do with the fact that the Sussexes leaving has made their lives harder. I think they thought that it would be smooth sailing with Harry and Meg gone but they’ve just created more problems for themselves.
JT, I agree on all points.
@Merricat, imo Kate has pretty much always been a liability (except with the casual royal-watchers who care mostly about her clothes & hair). Once Meghan came along, it became SO glaringly much more obvious how inferior Kate was. After Meghan left, it seems like the only thing they could do was double down on pushing her as the “children’s princess” and the most glamorous royal (I mean, I don’t find her particularly glamorous, but she is compared to, say, Sophie). They have no choice but to go all in on “Saint Kate.”
But the fact that William can’t even hide his disdain for her anymore and it’s become increasingly obvious that he’s done with her has thrown a real wrench into things, making everything even worse.
So now it seems like we’ll keep seeing competing narratives in the press, and it will be evident (for people like us who pay close attention, lol) which ones are coming from KP and which ones are coming from Camp Middleton. But this is an enormous mess and something’s gotta give. This can’t go on forever.
IMO, their plan is “separate lives but no divorce,” and it *might* seem to be able to work for a little while, but idk if that can be reasonably sustained long-term. The next couple of years should be veeeeery interesting.
ETA: @JT also agree with everything you said
Lorelai, I agree. You would think someone would have pointed out that the separate lives thing went spectacularly wrong with Charles and Diana. Why on earth is anyone repeating any bit of that doomed relationship?
A two day tour and all anyone can talk about is her wardrobe and how she slid down a big slide. I can’t.
Robert Johnson is Charles’ mouthpiece so this is more shade toward Willnot and Cannot. He’s really playing up the “Big Girl Katie went down a slide all by herself on her Big Girl Goes to Denmark tour” angle, which is super embarrassing. This really makes Camilla look like a serious and effective working woman for the crown.
The slide stunt makes me cringe. There is zero charm watching a middle aged woman in high heels on a children’s slide. It reeks of desperation to be photographed.
I HATE doing this — constantly comparing the two, but I can’t help it sometimes, my brain just does it! — and all I can think about is what the coverage would have looked like if it had been Meghan on a slide during an official engagement representing the Queen. It would have been breathtakingly vile and cruel.
@lorelei yes the press would have been brutal and they would not have let up for months about it.
Am I the only one who thinks that they will not divorce? The “family man” façade is literally the only thing going for William and why so many monarchist want to “skip Charles” for him – with all the drama that the Windsors have had the past few years, adding a divorce for the Cambridges would be catastrophic PR wise. William won’t let Harry be the one with the only fairytale love in the eyes of the public.
I’m of two minds.
I don’t think the “family man” image is all he has going for him, he’s got plenty of fans (such as they are) and I think he’d be fine. But the sad fact is that Kate is the only “glamour” this family has anymore (such as it is). So there are two options – a divorce that will give the press plenty to focus on, or keeping her around for frothy purposes. But the latter is becoming less and less successful.
It would be easier if they just gritted their teeth and stayed together but I’m starting to get skeptical because he really does look miserable and these articles are increasingly odd.
@C, I was about to say ITA with you, but I actually agree with all of the replies to you as well. I feel like I’m going to get whiplash, the way I keep flip-flopping and changing my opinion with every new comment I read, lol. Everybody here is making such good points.
I feel like as of right now, it could go either way. I used to think Bill would *definitely* never divorce, not only because the “family man” image is basically all he’s got going for him, but also because historically, he’s made such a big deal about how he wanted to give his children the happy childhood he never had. And he would not want to admit any sort of failure (obviously divorce doesn’t mean someone is a failure, but imo Bill would see it that way, especially compared to Harry’s blissfully happy marriage).
But as time goes on and their relationship grows more and more strained…idk. I also think the media will play a large role. Right now, they seem to be sticking to “BRF good; Sussexes bad,” but that strategy is becoming less and less effective by the day. If they decide that far more
££ is to be made by going all-in on a War of the Cambridges, he (and Charles) will be forced to address it and make some sort of change.
tl;dr: who knows
I agree.
The Queen’s death will clarify many things, really.
I don’t think it would be catastrophic if it was handled in the right way. I honestly think that William as a single dad would generate a TON of good PR for him. Think of him releasing a holiday card with him on the beach playing with the kids or whatever. People would love it.
Kate is the only glamorous one (I’m using that term loosely) left in the family but even that’s just temporary. Imagine the positive PR and hype in 11 years when 18 year old Charlotte appears at her father’s side for the royal variety show or whatever. By that point Kate is over 50, she’s going to quickly lose the title of “most glamorous royal” to her daughter, that’s just how these things work.
A few years ago I was kind of meh on their divorce – I thought William wanted one but maybe it would happen, maybe it wouldn’t. At this point I’m convinced they live separate lives and part of me thinks thats how it will be for the next 30 years, but William can’t even fake it in public for an hour anymore in terms of acting like its a happy marriage. So, I don’t know.
I agree with everything you’re saying. The idea of Charlotte being used as PR hype next to her dad makes me feel ill. I hope she has the wherewithal to follow her own star and make her own life and career outside of the RF.
There will be a window when a divorce will be viable. After Charles becomes king and before Bill becomes POW. If Keen becomes POW then I don’t see divorce unless something really bad becomes public.
@justplainme – I agree but I don’t think the POW decision will happen in a vacuum. If William tells Charles he wants a divorce, Charles will hold off on naming him POW until the divorce is final, so that Kate is never the Princess of Wales.
I don’t think they’ll divorce unless forced to. Elegant Bill, I think, is comfortable having his affairs hidden from the public’s eye, and his ‘happy marriage’ and pact with the RR allows that to happen. And I think his partners are happy keeping their private lives private.
Now, if Bill fell in love and wanted to be with that person publicly (rather than just live with them as though married and away from the press) the way Chuck went all in on Camilla, then I could see it. But I’m having a hard time picturing Bill doing that. He doesn’t strike me as having that kind of emotion in him. And as you said, his image as a married man with a happy family is kind of all he has. He’s not charismatic, he’s lazy, etc., so he really has nothing much to fall back on.
But he’s not keeping up his end of the “happy marriage” bargain. In order to pull off the happy marriage stunt for the cameras, you have to be happily separated. His grandparents were successful at this. Philip had his women and his home and the queen had her life. And they were both content and were able to enjoy each others company still. William clearly can’t stand being around Kate for even an hour. He is a deeply unhappy man. I don’t think his marriage is the only reason but I’m guessing that it’s a huge part of it.
@Nyro, that’s very true. The ‘more solo engagements’ for Mutton Buttons could be an attempt to keep them apart as much as possible in hopes of saving the public marriage. I have a hard time thinking Elegant Bill would want to divorce while his kids were still so young, if only for PR reasons, but yeah, it’s got to be bad if he has such a hard time being around her even a little bit.
Wm remembers the pain his mother suffered; Diana did not want a divorce. She asked the Queen to let them be privately separated but together as parents and separately for royal duties. This may well be the template that Wm is following.
He still has the son of Diana thing going for him. If they divorced he could compare himself to Di and make it seem like Kate never really loved him that she just married him for the titles and prestige. It would be an easy narrative to set up since she did follow him in college and waited around for years to marry him. It would be funny if he has been trying to ditch her for years but keeps getting told the PR time isn’t right because of other royal scandals going on.
OTOH, if he did shuck her during a flurry of scandals, it would be just another scandal in a sea of them and fade from the public’s concern, I think.
He had his chance in 2007 when he broke up with her, but somehow Carole perhaps lured him back and Kate had those embarrassing photo ops going out clubbing to show William what he was missing.
She “spoke very well” on that tour? Is there video of her speaking? I need some proof.
I don’t see them breaking up…Mamma Middleton has expended way too much time and energy getting Kate to this point. Also, I suspect the royal family doesn’t want one more scandal. I suspect they’re just going to do their own engagements, going forward, and get on with it.
Agreed, I think this and the additional house are the kickoff of separate lives, Kate holds up the slimmed down monarchy as Bill is so busy with king lessons and important meetings (checking the rose bushes). I think this only changes if Bill finds someone else who he wants to marry and is willing to take him, but that’s exactly how Kate got him in the first place, right? She’s still Waity Katey holding on to see if he finds someone else before she makes Queen Consort. I bet she thought that was over after she got the ring.
Pinkosaurus, “Kate holds up the slimmed down monarchy”, but you forgot BADLY. She will uphold the monarchy badly. This is the part that TQ and PP never had to worry about. Certainly, PC never had to worry about it with Princess Di. Keen’s not really a help. She’s an embarrassment. How long do you think that’s going to be tolerated by Chuck during his reign? Frankly, I don’t think the Mids have all that much power. The kind they do have disappears if Keen divorces. I can’t wait to see what Ma Mid and uncle come up with. They’re going to get squashed by Chuck at some point and I can hardly wait.
“Going down the big slide!” and “She spoke very well!” I don’t know if Jobson is so out of touch that he thinks that making a 40 year old woman sound like a ten year old is a compliment or he’s just being shady as h*ll. I’m surprised he didn’t say she was given ice cream as a treat afterwards for doing such a good job. I guess her “reward” is that she gets to stay in the marriage. I like that Jobson keeps lobbing those soft bombs at Baldemort though, lol.
It’s not a compliment. He’s talking about her like a toddler. Camilla looks like a true queen next to a toddler.
The only idea that I’d believe Kate came up with all by herself would be to solve the deadlock between the two of them by having her do *no* events, ever, at all.
If William wants a divorce, a divorce there will be.
But not before Petty Betty passes.
I always just assumed Kate wasn’t interested in anybody else around her, just William. From their very earliest engagements, she just looks at him & talks to him; always seemed pretty rude to me. I don’t think she’ll be more comfortable without him; she’s ‘accepted’ that she’ll do more solo engagements, meaning this is coming from him, not her. And this means she’ll have to talk to people. I think she’s going to be very bummed by all of this.
I fully believe they could successfully pull off a divorce (after the queens jubbly and after she passes).
They really just have to slowly phase her out or get certain RRs to be dismissive of her “work”.
Step 1 is to remind the world she is lazy. Do a few stories more about how William wants to work more but she wants to live in the country and spend all the taxpayers money on renovations to their third house.
Step 2 is William at events with the kids solo. They’ve soft launched this already. The single dad angle can work.
Step 3 is to continue to sideline her any time Harry returns to the UK. Make her seem like the problem.
Step 4 is slow leaks about her drinking/unhappiness. Again, already soft launched.
Step 5 is living openly in separate homes.
And so forth. Give the public time to accept Will as a single dad, and he won’t lose the family man image. And for the glamour? Kates quickly losing that even among her highest fans. I think bringing a new girl into the family may actually help save it. A pretty lawyer or other professional who would be open to public speaking in trendy clothes while not steamrolling William. They could find someone willing to put up with him for money and a crown I’m sure.
After the divorce, Bill dating could be a ratings bonanza for the rr’s and garner interest in the royal family that there is no way they will get with Cathy.
I’ve always believed that William could successfully divorce with the right spin as long as W is willing to put in the work of showing up, working consistently, and being seen as a good father. A Meg-lite type of woman would go a long way towards helping is image and a new face in the monarchy would bring in some interest. Kate being a big girl going down a slide just makes Kate, and by extension William, look frivolous. I think the palace has already begun to sow the seeds of this and I still think Kate will be blamed for H&M leaving.
IMO his decision might hinge on whether or not he’s able to find a woman — one who is smart, beautiful, accomplished, as good at the “job” as Meghan was, someone he would actually be proud to be with — who loved Bill enough (or wanted the title badly enough) to accept the scrutiny of marrying into the BRF, or even publicly dating Bill.
The entire world just saw exactly how nasty the British media can be, and they’d see it again if Bill decided to axe Kate. I’m sure there are millions of women who would do it in order to become a princess, but *not* the type of woman that William would want to be with. Many of the women Will would want already have many of the perks of being in the BRF (wealth; aristocratic heritage, estates, more wealth) but they also have complete privacy. What sane woman would willingly sign up to open their entire life up like that?
Who knows, maybe there is another “Meghan” out there for Bill, but…idk. And Bill seems like the type of man who wouldn’t commit to a divorce unless he knew for sure he had a suitable woman waiting in the wings. Time will tell!
I have to admit that thinking about William getting rid of Kate makes me really sad for her. It doesn’t change my opinion of her at all — she’s a cruel mean girl and the way she treated Meghan is unforgivable. But she *has* been loyal to William and done what he’s asked of her for decades, plus given him three beautiful children, and I do think she genuinely loves him. I’d feel sorry for *anyone* who was unceremoniously dumped so publicly for a newer, “better” model after so many years dedicated to the same man (no matter how warped that dedication was 😬).
I feel like I remember something but I could be wrong. I swear up until 2020ish, Kate regularly did events on her own and then it suddenly stopped and she almost exclusively did them with Will. Does anyone else remember this or am I crazy?
@Busyann, no, you’re right. She did used to do plenty of her engagements alone. I think that after the Oprah interview aired, they were afraid that she wouldn’t be able to handle or appropriately answer any questions about the Sussexes (and she proved them right, both with Jill Biden and WHAT ELSE), so they started sending William (who also hasn’t had the greatest responses!) with her, basically as a “chaperone.” But that’s JMO.
She did engagements on her own prior to the pandemic because we used to discuss here how she would look less tense when William wasn’t around. She didn’t do a ton of engagements but I think the real difference is the talk of her doing solo engagements in the upcoming tour, which is not something she did very much if at all. The fact that Wootton and now others have decided to make a story about the solo engagements suggest they are leaving bread crumbs as to what is actually going on.
I recently read that Kate is being asked to show more of herself and her family. I think the tabloids now has an hold on her for all the time she used the tabloid to make William look incandescent and clingy towards Kate’s mother. Also for all the time they attacked Meghan. Suddenly of all that stop and it isn’t as consistent as before.
If William cold hearted can hurt his own brother like this. Kate is mistaken if she doesn’t believe William would never do something like that to her.
Well no shit, he can’t stand to be around her.
Exactly, that beggars the question Why are they still together? What is the glue? He seems uninterested in her.
The tabloids are getting more and more obvious about them living separate lives. This Wootton article and then Jobson’s comment are basically confirming it. And there is more in a more recent article which I think we will cover tomorrow.
So, now keen will be outranked by everyone and will perhaps have to curtsy to everyone 😈 couldn’t happen to a better person though.
It’s no surprise that she’s able to survive in that Klan. She’s cold blooded, ruthless and heartless. Also, she can always run to mummy whenever things get difficult. Bonus, infantilised and mollycoddled by the press of her nation.
I had forgotten about that aspect, thanks for the reminder. Kate gets her status from William’s presence. When she’s solo, she has to curtsy to Eugenie, etc. (and Meghan, if Harry is present?)
It’s clear that this war of the Cambridges is being fought through the tabloids as Kate sees clearly that her Princess of Wales and FQC titles are in jeopardy because William can’t stand her. I think they’ll continue the subterfuge until Betty falls off her perch, then Charles, who clearly hates the Midds and knows Kate is a liability to the BRF, will sanction a divorce. The excuse would likely be that Kate wants to spend more time with the kids and finds the rigors of being FQC too difficult. She’ll be given an home and a nice stipend to shut her and Ma Meddlesome up.
Noki, I like your idea. Let her dish out the withering looks of contempt, disdain and disgust. Let her slap his hand away (the only action Melania ever did that I approved of). Let her walk in front of him. What will be, will be, but she needn’t be shamefaced about it if he isn’t (after all, he’s the cheater, not her). This in no way means I like or approve of her, but for God’s sake, show a little dignity, Kate.
What interests me in this speculation of William as a single-dad-but-not-for-long scenario. If he really does have someone else waiting in the wings, how old are they? Are they substantially younger and want children, so that William ends up with like 5 kids? Or is this person older with children from a previous relationship? How will any of these scenarios play with the public?
How would stepchildren be dealt with from a financial perspective (police protection, school fees, etc.)?
Both Charles and Camilla are stepparents, Having brought a total of 5 children into their marriage, so this is most likely not going to be a problem.
It would be a little different bc I think Camilla’s children were grown up by the time they got married. Tom was born in 74 and Laura was born in 1978 so she was 27 when they got married (and she got married shortly after that), and Tom was over 30. So they never lived with Charles, custody wasn’t an issue, school fees were long paid for, etc. I don’t think they get any kind of security protection and in general what kind of access they have to the royals seems to be kept pretty discreet (like if they go to Birkhall or castle of mey, if they hang out at Clarence House or Highgrove, etc.)
But all that was easier I think bc they were adults so there was no shared household with William and Harry or anything. they were already well established in their adult lives by the time Camilla and Charles got married.
If william were to marry someone with younger children, that would be more complicated I would think.
Camilla’s children were both over 18 when she married Charles so funding their schooling and security was not an issue. If the children were younger and rota got angry, they could whip up outrage over commoners living on the public purse.
The various palaces still act as if we’re in the 1990s – with compliance amongst most of the Rota – briefing these ridiculous stories in an attempt to set the scene of more solo engagements to hide the real story of trouble in the Cambridge’s marriage. Social media and independent commentators dismantle their narrative on a regular basis. William is stuck with her for now for two main reasons: he needs to set his image before officially separating and money. He relies on Charles financially and that ends when William gets his hands on the Duchy of Cornwall income. Charlie’s reign will be full of upheaval within the institution.
I’m torn. I do think theyre trying to test the waters. They wanna see if she gains any traction as meghan does when shes by herself and if she doesnt and people get bored of her and they see she brings nothing of value is gonna prove that a divorce would work great. Burger king being single will bring out all the kates in england. Women who want the POW title. Theyre both boring cuz their work isnt any work. What do you mean come say hi and leave. Compared to the real stuff harry and meghan do? Please. I want then each to do back to back engagements. Like ten each all close to eachother and the papers write about them like the second coming and they lose money cuz wtf are you writing. The old hag going to hell couldnt come faster enough. Kudos to charles. Ive only been waiting for like two years hes been waiting for like 60 + 😭
Dear lord I wish I were born dim and thin enough to get paid to go down a slide…that aside, I think W&C are going to have Carole take the fall for the divorce – the foundation was laid years earlier for her to be spun as “controlling” or “meddling.” That may be the concession for not attacking Kate directly and for her staying mum on his affairs. Perhaps they also agreed that she could at least start a “brand” by attending events solo before the announcement – a gift for providing heirs and leaving quietly. I bet they have a heap of dirt on her family and I also bet he’s fallen for an aristo, the way they are painting Kate now.
Gracie, no aristo would have him. He’s tried that before. No such luck. I do believe that he would be attracted to a career lady, educated with people skills and a strong work ethic. Hmmm.
Just because he was rejected by aristos before, doesn’t mean he will always be rejected by them… just saying. Look at Rose for instance. William has ALWAYS wanted to marry into his ‘class’ – one of the aristos. Kate was simply the ‘convenient’ option since she was always waiting in the shadows for him. Like a spare tool – to put it bluntly. There were stories on how even his friends looked down on Kate because she was a commoner. And how they completely ignored her while she was pregnant with George at a wedding event. Classism is deeply rooted in William from what I can tell. So honestly, I would not be surprised if his new rose bush was that of another aristo.
If Kate had made an ally of Meghan, instead of treating her like the enemy, Meghan, as the kind, caring person she is, would have supported Kate through this divorce/separation/whatever-it-is. But short-sighted Kate and her jealous, bald husband, had to drive them off. Okay, Kate and Will. The stage is all yours. Dazzle us.
Exactly.
This makes Kate sound like she is submissive to and/or scared of William…..as if she has Stockholm Syndrome! I am starting to think that Kate had a very fairytale vision of what life would be like when she married into the BRF. And when she first became a member, it almost was like that…she was the fresh new star and it was all roses/rainbows/unicorns. She also had both brothers all to herself. But then Harry started carving out a niche for himself. He had projects and initiatives that were his own creation. THEN he met Meghan and Harry grew up! He became a more assured, confident man. And Meghan was a woman with a very accomplished background, confident, self-assured, a great speaker and it appeared she was the new star of the family…not to mention the immediate formidable team Harry/Meghan made. They were a new type of working royal (more aligned with the Scandinavian Royals IMO). Kate was no longer the star. Plus it really highlighted her shortcomings. I can only assume the jealousy and teeth grinding that the success of Harry and Meghan’s first tour caused. I recall Kate’s first tour in Canada where she literally just shook hands, smiled and looked adoringly at William. The woman uttered not a single word in public for that entire tour! And here was Meghan giving speeches and doing solo engagements on her first tour!
They could not have Harry and Meghan overshadow Kate/William….but they did it without even really trying. So the smear campaign began in earnest. They just didn’t count on Harry picking HIS family over THE family and saying bye bye.
Kate has been coming and growing into her role for more than 10 years now! And she had a 10 year head start to know what would be expected of her. Yet, she comes up short each time! In all honesty, she is not cut out for this. It is that plain and simple. If she has not figured this out in 10 years, I doubt she will. How long does someone need to come into their own! She’s 40!
Best PR for Baldy; let Keen take the fall for the Sussex smear then take a quiet trip to CA and work things out. DM headline; future king is a statesman who took charge and made things right with his brother. Two birds with one stone.
They unfortunately aren’t that smart…
Why have I not heard of them going for marriage counselling yet? They definitely need it.
Because KP, CH and Ma Meddlesome don’t want it getting out that their marriage has hit the skids. The tabloids and ROTA know and are holding it over the Cambridge’s empty heads so they can get regular leaks on H&M, C&C, etc. We all know it’s a house of cards and could all come tumbling down any day now.
Carol needs to call Kris Jenner. She’s fumbling the bag and not a PR master mind like miss Kris.
I’m pretty sure though that the minute divorce is mentioned, Carol will send every single media outlet the concrete proof he is cheater. Look at his daddy, 20 years can pass and people still remember how he treated Diana.
I think Kate’s Diana cosplay is also to gather public sympathy/support in the unlikely event divorce happens in the future. Because the comparison to Diana is in her favor and makes William look horrible if history repeated itself. Me thinks waity kaity knows how this works and has a couple irons in the fire if the word ‘divorce’ gets mentioned.
Ma Middleton definitely has the dirt on William. In fact, that’s probably keeping him in line.
His best move is to privately separate, while publicly remaining married. Does he really want us to know Kate is anorexic because he is incredibly cruel to her? Does he want us to know about all his philandering, not just Rose but every Jane, Denise, and Harriet? Does he want everyone to know his officed blamed Kate for his own misdeeds?
Like someone else mentioned, he doesn’t strike as a man capable of a great passion. Will is more like Uncle Charles. Does Will want to be a serial marrier? With 8 children from 4 different wives?
Kate can’t play the wronged wife with his history of cheating for 20 years. She was no Diana and a naive ingenue when they married at 29 going on 30. She was well aware of the cheating and accepted his offer despite that.
And this is the wrong century to pretend that she could not have divorced him years ago. She is keeping silent on the cheating in order to get a title. That will not play the same way as how Diana responded. Diana did not want to tolerate another woman. Kate has for years. No one needs to remain in an unhappy marriage if it causes emotional distress. Kate has chosen to remain married and remain silent about the cheating. She even told Chelsy it was accepted that they would cheat.
So now that Harry isnt acting like a frat boy third wheel and meghan isn’t around to scapegoat, their relationship is…crickets…
Just a few bits – At the weekend the DM picked up from an Italian newspaper (so they say) that William dropped off Charlotte at some piazza place in London where she was going to a school friend’s birthday party and he came back a few hours later for her. He was wearing maroon cords and they had a pink wrapped parcel. William is apparently cut out off a lot of photos of him and Kate together. He resents this but can live with it. The Queen has told them “no divorce”. Harry is in quite regular contact with Charles but not with William.