Update/amendment to my amendment at bottom of post.
So it looks like other media outlets are running with the Kate and George airport vacation photos. Popsugar has a ton of them, and full photos, too, that show surroundings and add some context. Upon viewing these photos, I would like to amend my previous comments about the photos. However, since my previous post was so long, I decided to go ahead and make a whole new post so it’s easier to read.
Now, one thing I know I mentioned was how Kate seemed to be staring directly at the camera and laughing and smiling. I suggested that it may be because she knew the camera was there (don’t hate people, that is a valid suggestion given the number of celebs who call the paps on themselves and then stare directly into the camera so the paps can get their shot), but upon viewing the full-view photos I now see that the reason Kate’s head is turned that direction, and why she is laughing and smiling, is because she is talking to a security person who is walking with her. Clearly the photos I viewed previously had cropped the security person out. And maybe James has his head turned to the camera because he’s… listening to Kate and the security person talk? Sure. I’ll give them that one. So, no harm there.
Another thing I mentioned was how Kate was holding George seemed odd to me. I got some criticism for that, and I really don’t have any defense for why I criticized it in the first place, other than it just seemed odd to me. There are arguments for why she would carry him that way, and my argument for criticizing it has no real backing, so I’ll back off that one.
Regarding George seemingly not moving at all during the whole time on the tarmac, which seemed odd to me also: maybe he does kind of move a little bit? Having seen more pictures, I detect a bit of movement from George in some of the pictures, but not a lot. I think this issue was the biggest for me. It just seemed odd that George wouldn’t look around or squirm or anything, but maybe he was tired; it was a long flight. Eh, I don’t care enough to really put together a defense of my initial criticism–also, there really isn’t one–so whatever.
Like I said in my original post, I may be overanalyzing these photos and seeing a negative because of my preconceived view of Kate. I try to be objective–or at the very least, more objective than some–but I do hold a general dislike for Kate and how the media presents her (which has come from all the hypocrisy, from Kate, and sycophancy, from the media), so my judgement may be clouded here. The fact that I do want to be somewhat objective in my criticism, and give credit where it is due, is why I am writing this post amending my previous statements. I made a judgement call based on cropped photos I had seen, but once I saw the seemingly uncropped photos, my criticism wasn’t as valid, and I don’t mind saying that.
However, I do stand by what I said about the inconsistency of how they handle paparazzi photos in my previous post.
UPDATE: Goodness, I really need to stop flip-flopping my opinion on these photos, but I just did a search for “the Queen” on Google and have a thought I’d like to share. First, if you Google “the Queen” and click over to “news” (if you leave it on “web” it comes up with the movies) it comes up with a bunch of links to articles about how the Queen thinks Kate’s hemlines are too high. Nothing about the Queen’s finances, and her planned trip to Rome in April where she will meet the Pope is down at the bottom of the page. And that got me thinking about something I said when they announced a Kate appearance the same day that finances report was released. I said: “Kate Middleton will distract because she gets more attention in general and people will talk about her clothes and whatnot instead of talking about the lack-luster royal finances and the “crumbling” palaces. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we got new pap shots of Kate shopping or something. Or if they really wanted to distract the public they’d release new pics of Prince George.”
Now, it’s been about a week-ish since that report came out, right, but we did get new pap pics of Kate, and George (!). And now all anyone can talk about is the new pics of George–and the hemline thing, which was released a few days ago. (Also note, these pictures were from the beginning of the Mustique holiday, so they would have been taken around the same time as the Queen’s finance report, but they weren’t published until now.) I did rethink my position on these photos a few times now. At first I thought she could have totally called the pap since she was staring into the camera and laughing, smiling, and holding George for the nice “happy family” photo op that the palace has deemed not important enough to pursue. Then I saw that Kate was talking to someone, which made me excuse her expression and seemingly staring into the camera. But then I did that search, and now I’m thinking that maybe she did know the pap was there, and planned the photo op not only to get her some nice “happy family” pr, but also to distract from the Queen’s bad press. It would explain why the palace has decided not to pursue these photos when they are no better or worse, and in the same type of public forum when taken, than the other photos they’ve pursued. I don’t know, it may be reaching, but it was something I thought of (that I kind of totally predicted a week ago) and thought I’d share.
Hmm, strange to back off like that, nothing has really changed since your first article on this yesterday. Having seen the full photos, and more, it is very odd how this woman carried that child down the aircraft steps, nobody in front of her to break a fall, holding the child with one arm and, as usual, pushing her hair back with the other, a scrunchy to hold her hair back on her wrist. What if she had tripped, she should have been holding on to the rail. She is holding the child oddly, and I still think she is smiling to the camera, that is her gurning smile especially for them. Someone had a word in your ear??
There’s nothing nefarious going on. You bring up valid points regarding how she was holding him going down the stairs. The pictures still seem off to me, but when I saw Kate was actually talking to someone her expression made more sense.
Also, I was thinking about the criticism of her parenting and whatnot, and then I thought about all the other celeb moms who get bashed on various websites for everything they do and say. It really doesn’t matter what a woman does during her pregnancy or after the birth to take care of the child because no matter what anyone does there are a ton of women criticizing everything every mother does (people criticize if a women doesn’t breastfeed but then criticizes if she breastfeeds too long, ridiculous), and that thought kind of sickened me. Nothing a woman does it right, ever. It’s a sexism I’m not fond of, and the horrible thing is it comes from other women. It’s not even men who are putting women down in that situation, it’s women. Women are putting down women, and therefore keeping themselves down. So, since I’m not a mother and have no experience to judge from, I thought I’d just not say anything other than I thought her behavior odd.
However, I did just think of something regarding these photos and I’m going to edit my post right now.
this diva needed a break from what, she never works, shes a joke! And good for the queen to finally crackdown on the exhibitionist before the australians have a blast, lets hope she will behave which i hardly doubt, how come prrincess charlene never has such scandals hire her stylist for goodness sake and that hair needs a trim she is not a teenager?
these photos are soooo pr movement!
Since Hello magazine published these photos, I believe Kate was aware of the photographer and allowed herself and George to be photographed. There was really no effort to conceal George other than his sunhat, even though we didn’t really see his face. Hello usually covers the royal families and is very respectful of them, so who’s to say that because of the high interest in George and his usefulness as good PR to deflect the fact that non-working Kate is on another vacation these photos were taken with her assent. And seeing some of the photos where she’s descending the steps while holding George makes me shudder for his safety. I would think one of those baby harnesses where the infant is strapped in front would be safer and more comfortable, especially when you’re dashing from one plane to another and navigating stairs where you could leave your hands free to grip the railings. The fact that he’s not in one makes me think that these photos were planned for maximum exposure, or as best as possible under the circumstances since you can’t ask a baby to pose for the cameras.
I think it’s valid and reasonable to criticize the way Kate is carrying the baby down the steps from the plane. As a previous poster noted, it’s dangerous…if she accidentally tripped there would be no one there to help her or George. As for pics of George, we still can’t see his face. I think Kate knew the camera was there and she carried George like that on purpose…she wanted their photos taken, but she didn’t want to anger William, who would not like to see pics of George.
Yes, that begs the question: What will be William’s reaction to these photos? He can’t very well sue if his cooperative posing wife gave her assent to their publication. But he might have a hissy fit at her in private if he discovers her collusion.
the thing with waity she thinks she knows everything and dont need help! Carrying a baby on any stairs like that is very dangerous for both of them, why not strap him in front or the back and hold on to the rails, and she had the nerves o still playing with her hair, shes a mum now but hey this is waity teenage is still stuck in her pathetic!
There is just something off about these photos, George does not look real. He looks like a doll. No change in movement. Babies don’t stay still like that without kicking their feet or squirming or talking in baby talk or gurgling. There had to be a lot of noise which can upset a baby. He looks drugged. Something is wrong with all this. I feel so sorry for that little baby. If he stays in that family, he is going to have some serious mental health issues. I wish his real mother would come and get him. He does not look like a child that is being loved the way it should. I am a grandparent and I have bad feelings about that poor child’s life.