Royal Week in Review: Duchess Kate updates

Royal Week in Review: Duchess Kate updates

So I never did cover Kate Middleton‘s third appearance of last week – her trip to Action on Addiction’s Autumn Gala. I attended a writer’s conference instead. So this post is a catch-up of the latest Kate stuff from the last week.

Kate at Action on Addiction Autumn Gala
[Nick Barton and Kate, via Action on Addiction Facebook]

First, the Action on Addiction appearance. Kate attended Action on Addiction’s Autumn Gala dinner and reception last Thursday, October 23, at L’Anima Italian restaurant – do you think she ate anything? The dinner was the typical thing: to thank supporters of the charity who have helped fund the services, and invite and encourage further financial support. So they trotted out their Patron to chat to the financial backers, hoping that would lead to more financial backing. My take on Kate’s Patronages: this is why her charities keep her as Patron. It gives a nice name and face for when the charity calls on it’s real backers. The backers get to hob-knob with the royal, and Kate gets to put on a fancy dress, but she doesn’t actually have to do any work. They don’t want her to do work, or even really promote the thing publicly, it’s all about what the charity can sell to the rich people who will be donating most of the money they receive (because a few dollars from regular folks who follow Kate’s activities isn’t going to get them much).

    About Action on Addiction: “Action on Addiction is the only UK charity working across the addiction field in research, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, professional workforce development, professional education and support for families and children.
    “One in three people suffer from an addiction. It breaks up families, damages communities and destroys lives. In some way it touches us all. Action on Addition believes that it is important to take an integrated and dynamic approach to improving the understanding of addiction and people’s responses to it.”

 

In a foreword for the Gala’s program, Kate Rebecca Deacon wrote: “During the time I have spent with clients and staff I have been privileged to see the phenomenal work which the charity undertakes to improve the lives of those affected by addiction. The stories of recovery are remarkable; and Action on Addiction’s role in helping people achieve this is truly inspiring. Your generous support will enable Action on Addiction’s vital work to continue, helping transform people’s lives.”

Nick Barton, Chief Executive of Action on Addiction, said: “The Duchess of Cambridge has shown unwavering support of the Charity… We are enormously grateful that Her Royal Highness has helped us to keep addiction very much in the spotlight by her involvement.” He also said, “She loves talking to the people we actually help and she’s so good with them and genuinely interested.” Uh, she rarely visits Action on Addiction anymore, but sure, fluff that statement up there Nick.

One of the charity’s supporters, Christopher Holder, said of Kate: “She’s a fabulous woman, she does so much for charity.” BAHAHAHA that’s funny.

 

Now on to that dress. Kate wore a Temperley London dress (£595), black with crocheted cut-out bits on the arms, skirt, and above and below the bust; and a deep scoop back. The dress thankfully has a nude slip underneath. Not going to lie, when I first saw the dress in a small photo taken from afar, I thought it was legit cut-outs, Kim Kardashian style. My god, I severely dislike this dress. I think it’s an ugly dress in general, but it looks even worse on poor Kate. She just doesn’t pull it off – the cut-outs cut her at odd places and it makes her shoulders look wider. And of course, it’s way too risque-looking for a Duchess at an elegant gala for one of her charities.

Kate accessorized with a new sequined black handbag, her weird diamond earrings that have never been identified, and her Jimmy Choo Cosmic heels.

Links: Action on Addiction press release. Express article.

 

Other Kate bits. The Daily Mail ran a story about a family that were accosted by Will and Kate’s protection officers while the family suffered a flat tire outside the Middleton home in Bucklebury. They then said they saw Kate, Carole Middleton, and Prince George at the Bucklebury Farm Park shop “where you can buy fresh meat and other food.” They took a snap of Kate in her car, driving away. No idea when this incident took place. But that leads me into the next bit…

Kate was spotted with George at that same park on June 27. That’s Kate’s protection officer in the photo with her.

 

You know how Kate loves, and I mean LOVES, her Annoushka Pearl Drop earrings? Well, Annoushka Ducas has had a chat to People Mag. Ducas says of Kate: “Kate looked radiant, elegant and eternally stylish; the pearls are very easy to wear and they look great on her… She pops in unannounced and very quietly looks at what she’s after and then goes away again. It’s all very low-key… She’s just so delightful and just very easy to talk to, very easygoing actually.” Ducas says Carole and Pippa Middleton are fans of her jewelry as well. But the most interesting thing is that Kate buys her own jewelry from Annoushka, like even the eternity band that everyone thought was a gift from Prince William? That’s actually really sad if that’s true. William is such an ass.

Apparently, William, Kate, and George are in Scotland at the moment. No idea what they’re doing. I guess Kate’s fully recovered from her “HG” if she’s cool with flying. Isn’t Will supposed to be doing some flying of his own, with his air ambulance training and whatnot? What ever happened to that?

 

By the way, saw this in the checkout line at the store.  Got to love the juxtaposition of “Kate’s HG is over!” and “Ebola”.  Also, way to use a pic from before she was pregnant, People – WTF?

People Mag - Kate


53 thoughts on “Royal Week in Review: Duchess Kate updates

  1. The dress is hideous. Seriously, I do not understand the problems the Duchess has with her wardrobe, hair, and overall look. She’s the freaking wife of the heir to the throne – yet with her attire, presentation, and lack of activity, she seems to be holding on to her old (non) identity.

    I’m not British, so maybe I’m missing something?

    I was pregnant at the same time she was with Prince George and I was sooooo looking forward to her maternity wear – I was HUGELY disappointed. My local maternity boutique had more flattering offerings than anything I saw her in. Hoping this time around will be different.

    1. God, I wish I could “like” this post 1000X. She has SUCH boring taste. I really wish she would do a ‘What not to wear’ episode because she really needs good stylists that have the freedom to dress her according to what works on her. I’ve said this before, but she has the SAME cut for every.freaking.dress. Lady, you’re slim and young – take advantage of this and take some fashion risks! ARGH. /rant

    2. I think the dress could be okay. Get rid of the black accessories, adjust it so you can’t obviously see the underskirt (especially around the legs, it looks so tacky), do your hair up conservatively to play down the sexy dress and to show off the details…

      And get rid of that hideous, hideous bow.

      You are right though, Kate lacks style. I think the royals don’t want to push the ‘young bride’ too hard and Kate takes full advantage of Diana’s legacy in that respect.

      1. I think the royals don’t want a married-in taking more press/public affection than the blood royals. Unfortunately now it just reflects poorly on the blood royals when Kate messes up so much.

        As far as the dress goes, I think it would have worked on a super skinny fashion girl, like a Keira Knightly or an Emma Watson, with minimal accessories and styling. And do a full lining, rather than an underdress, because seeing the underskirt separate from the dress is so tacky, as you said. I don’t want to say Kate’s too big for the dress, she’s not, she’s still a thin girl. But I think an Emma or a Keira would know how to pose to play down the sexiness of the dress, whereas Kate wore the dress as if it were any other dress, which made us focus on the sexiness of it.

        1. “I think the royals don’t want a married-in taking more press/public affection than the blood royals. ” If this were true, they’d have Beatrice and Eugenie working as full-time royals. Nobody is holding Middleton back – except herself and her useless husband.

          1. Maybe I should have said, “Charles doesn’t want Kate taking more press than him, but he also doesn’t want the York girls taking more press than him”. But they did say that Kate sets her own schedule, right? So you’re right, she’s the one holding her back.

  2. I saw this article while at a doctors appointment this week and had to stop myself from loudly saying “Princess my ass” (excuse the language). People is really trying to get its readers to call her Princess Kate. Not buying it. Also can’t they just let go of the HG cover story already…she never had it.

    1. I wonder if she’s end up having one more kid after this and if the ‘HG’ will come up again. I think people were excited to have a new member of the Royal Family last time, so they let it slide. This time, she’s REALLY coming under fire for the non-existent sickness. I’m not sure why the Palace couldn’t say she has a severe case of the morning pukes and needs to rest. Nobody would’ve said ANYTHING about that since everyone’s been sick as a dog at one point. The fact that they stuck a name on it (and that too, for a severe/possibly life-threatening condition) just gave her critics the ammo they needed.

      1. Ugh, I can barely call her Duchess since I don’t think she’s done anything to earn the title other than marrying her titled husband. And she gives women who legitimately suffer from HG a bad rap since she “bounced” back so quickly. The question could then be asked of these women who may work for a living and hear it from their employers that if Kate recovered so quickly, why not them?

    1. hahaha…I was going to comment on “white bra” too. Perhaps the dress is just too fitted and the material stretched and actually showed the lining giving a white bra effect.

      1. I was too shocked when I looked at the skirt of that dress to notice how the top part of the dress was fitting. I agree, the material is stretched and just looks awful. Kate needed to have gone up a size and maybe it would have looked better? Wearing clothing which is too tight could be a sign that Kate has issues with her body. Was she teased about her weight as a children? So now she diets and exercises like crazy so she can be thin and the ultimate prize? She got to marry a prince, not like the girls who had called her fat? Was teasing about Kate’s weight the real reason she swapped schools?

        1. Kate didn’t even wear maternity clothes until after she had George (at least not in public/at public appearances). If she’s not willing to wear maternity clothes when she’s third trimester pregnant, then of course she’s not going to go up a size when she’s early second trimester pregnant. Why can’t she just accept her changing body and dress accordingly?

          Even in old photos of Kate, when she was a more healthy weight than she is now, she was never fat, or even remotely overweight. She was just healthy looking. I know kids can be cruel, but I don’t see why they would call her fat when she was probably at most a size six (if that even). Seriously, she wasn’t the slightest bit overweight.

          1. I grew up with an anorexic mother who drilled it into my head that I was either “fat” and shouldn’t eat, or “would get even fatter” if I ate. I look back at photos of myself and realize that, not only was I not fat, I was skinny. However, I’m 50 years old now, not over-weight, but think of myself as “fat”. It wouldn’t surprise me if Carole instilled unrealistic body image thinking into Kate. During her George pregnancy she wore those horrid, pastel-colored sacks that didn’t hide a pregnancy, they just made her look like a giant Easter egg. I don’t think she has a healthy, realistic body image.

          2. Yikes. I’m so sorry for you having to grow up in a situation like that. It’s awful what parents can do to their children.

            If Carole was the “instill unrealistic body image” issues kind of mother, it seems to have only affected Kate, and only after she became engaged. Pippa is a healthy looking woman, and Kate was always more healthy looking during the dating years. But I wouldn’t put it past Carole to act like an ass like that.

  3. Ohhhhh, that tasteless dress. I also saw it for the first time in a small photo and thought they were cut-outs, too. The dress is ghastly. Not suitable for the wife of the future King. And, yes, the bra!
    Just horrible. She can’t be that clueless, can she?

    As for the photo of her holding Prince George, she looks soooo thin. She must have an eating disorder. Didn’t look that thin in the dresses, but holding that little chubbykins just exasperates how skinny she is. And, I don’t think it has anything to do with the supposed illness from the pregnancy.

    1. Keep in mind that pic of Kate holding George in the park was taken at the end of June, so before she got pregnant. She’s gained weight since.

      Does she not have a dresser? I would think a professional dresser wouldn’t let her wear crap that makes her look trashy, and would make sure weights are in all her hems.

  4. The dress is UGLY. I am beginning to think that Kate picks her fashion like she picks her jewelry (With little to know interest). Kate’s interest in fashion is just another way to compare her to Diana. I hope her appearance at the event raised a lot of money for a very good cause.

  5. CrazyAMG, I agree 100% with you! Tomorrow is Halloween, i wonder what the dim dou might wear? I could not resist making this comment!

  6. I think you are spot on that Kate is the prize for the high value donors … and the draw is that they too may get their picture in the society papers with her. It really is difficult as a non-Brit to understand the draw of someone who has no talent or skills and just married someone. I can only imagine how boring the conversation is with her and what a let down it must be to actually meet her. Come to think of it, I’ve never heard anyone other then PR people talk about what she is like at these things. Maybe there is a reason for that (people are too polite to say anything bad – so they say nothing?)

    KMR – We are 10 months complete with the year and I’ve got Kate at 10 engagements on behalf of the royal family in the UK – once a month! And 7 charity visits – but two of those were on the same days as representing the royal family – so just add 5 more work days to that! Once every other month! 15 days at home and 19 days abroad – 34 days of “work”. Isn’t that just about what the average worker gets in leave? Or said another way – She does 15% where others do 100%.

    1. The papers usually get quotes from people who met her, but the quotes are always, “She’s so nice/great/something sycophantic.” The quotes are always fluff, because there is nothing interesting to say about her.

      My numbers are a bit off from yours, but if I remember correctly I categorized a few things differently from you when I set up my list. I have 2 royal family appearances, 18 royal duty appearances, 6 charity appearances, and 52 foreign appearances (keep in mind the court circular marks multiple appearances for a few of the visits, and there were multiple visits during the OZ/Z Tour). Which makes 34 days total work. And 15 misses appearances over 7 days. Yeah, she really hasn’t done that much work this year – and that was before she got pregnant.
      *I’m not counting the no press court circular appearances, and the bs court circular appearances in this tally right now.

  7. Seriously this dress would work for a Hollywood star or another type of celebrity. It’s too revealing for a member of the royal family. I think Kate has no real understanding of the difference between celebrity style and royal style. Princess Charlene wears lovely clothes, as do some of the other European royals. Here’s a hint, Kate – if Kim Kardashian would wear it, it’s not appropriate for you. There, I’ll get down from my soapbox now!

    1. I think a celeb like Emma Watson or Keira Knightly could pull this dress off, but not Kate. Kate should take a fashion lesson from the other royal ladies – CP Mary, CP Victoria, P Charlene – rather than trying to look like the celebs with the cut out look.

  8. I am certainly no fashionista but even I would know NOT to wear a white boulder holder (in my case pebbles) with this kind of dress…cut outs? Seriously, is she being weened off her flashing addiction? This woman is a complete and total waste. Do the royal mirrors do like the one in Sleeping Beauty?…mirror mirror on the wall…who’s the fairest of them all…and the mirror says what the whoever she was wanted…this mess of a dress is totally inappropriate I think but it could be even the illusion of cut outs and that bra that bug me…like I said…I’m no fashionista. Besides, I am old. Too late for me to wear anything remotely resembling something like this….but even in my younger days this would have been too revealing for me…even if it’s an optical illusion….that woman is a whackadoodle imo.

  9. The more I look at this dress, the more shocking it is. Truly, she must be an exhibitionist. When she’s not flashing, she is giving the impression that she’s wearing a see-through dress. So tacky, it’s appalling. Does the Royal Family ever give her a “dressing down?” I cannot believe she is allowed to dress in such poor taste.

    1. The whole point of a dress like that is to give the illusion of see-through, to be sexy, which is the opposite of what you would want as a royal. I’m shocked her handlers let her out of the house like that.

      1. Do you honestly think they would keep a “handler” around who defied or questioned them in any way? I suspect the only way to keep a job with W&K is to do exactly what W&K order you to do.

        1. True. And if they did have handlers who did their jobs properly, they would have sewn hem weights in long ago.

  10. Okay, can we just talk about the fact that they are on another vacation in Scotland??? Seriously, they take vacations from their vacations. It is such a joke!! I’m so tired of the media saying “Will and Kate are on a well deserved holiday.” They do nothing to earn these breaks. I am also confused because I thought William was supposed to be studying hard for his air ambulance job. What happened to that? I really wish the media would stop praising Kate (they called this dress stunning). She does not walk on water! I was really hopeful for Kate and now she is just lazy. She got her Prince, so she is going to do the bare-minimum:(. Why can’t people report that, then maybe she would get off her butt and do something?

    1. The media definitely treats her with kid gloves. That’s part of why I started this blog in the first place, because the media were so sycophantic.

      And yeah, the press picked up the Scotland vacay story. I’m sort of surprised they mentioned it, I would have thought they’d ignore it like they did with Will’s Scotland vacay in Sept or something – he was there while the Queen was there, without Kate and George, but the press ignored it. Ugh with the whole “babymoon” thing. People don’t need a vacation before having a baby, and this will not be Will and Kate’s last vacation before the birth next April. W&K are on their, like, 14th “honeymoon” at this point.

      Yes, Will is supposed to be doing his air ambulance thing, which is why he’s not doing appearances, but he’s been vacationing instead. Seriously, the press should report on that. It’s such BS.

      1. I really wish the media would report on how little they work in regards to how many vacations they take. Maybe then people would see Will and Kate for what they are instead of praising them blindly. Seriously, I don’t understand why people think Kate is so perfect. I think she is pretty and I like seeing what she is wearing, but she is such a let down as a royal. So lazy!!! I really wish the media would get out from under their thumb:(. That is why I appreciate this blog. It is realistic and does not put Kate on a pedestal. So thank you.

  11. Here’s hoping it is ok for me to reply, since I am from across the pond. The media is talking about how Kate is dressing so much more sexy now that she is pregnant. I believe she and Billy are having problems because of JC, and maybe that is the reason she is at her Mom’s, not because of the pretend hg. If I recall correctly, before they were engaged, when they broke up, she started wearing clothes she thought would look sexier in what I feel was an attempt to get Billy’s attention back. It apparently worked then, so why not try it again. Also, is it just me, or does she appear to have a different personality now than when they were dating/first married? btw I love this blog. Great job!!

    1. It definitely seems like Kate wants to dress sexier when pregnant. She did that last time, too – as soon as she got pregnant the skirt hems got shorter. So weird. It’s like Kate needs to prove to herself that she’s still desirable to men/Will even though she’s pregnant. I definitely think she and Will are basically living separate lives at this point. I don’t think Will gives a sh*t about this new baby, or his old baby, or his wife. He seems like he’s over the whole thing. But he’ll still vacation with her. Maybe all the vacays are their attempt at saving the marriage?

  12. after hiding for months with her pretend HG,she comes back and wears two horrible outfits, no speeches or anything about her work and its all about how sexy she looks,oops!? kate is not beautiful nor sexy, look at her at her day off shopping in her ghastly skinny jeans,she looks horrendous!?

    1. “its all about how sexy she looks”

      This. For some reason she was intent on looking sexy, which is odd to me.

      1. Honestly, KMR, what else does she have? She sees no other value in herself, and spent a decade devoted to one thing – keeping William interested at any cost. William kept her around for a decade as a convenience between chasing other women. She didn’t use her degree, cannot make basic small talk, doesn’t speak multiple languages. All she has — and the only way she gets his attention – is by being sexy. Maybe she thinks that works with everyone? Flip hair, act silly, flash naked ass = get attention.

        1. Yup, all the qualities you’d want to see in a wife to an heir to the throne. And you are right, My2Pence, in that she sees no other value in herself. If she has such poor self-esteem that she can only see herself as a sex object for William, what value can she have for her role and the monarchy? Nothing, from what we’ve seen over the years. This is just her playground where she revels in being a celebrity and fawned over. I blame William for this, for choosing an inappropriate, unqualified woman for his wife, and his poor lack of judgment and self-indulgence in his choice. I firmly believe despite Kate’s attempts to keep him enthralled, William is or will be dallying with other women such as Jecca Craig and is following his father’s footsteps down to an unhappy marriage. If it is not already. One of these days, he may realize he wants more substance to a mate and the writing will be on the wall.

          1. One would hope Kate would find value in her work, and therefore find value in herself, but it doesn’t look like that is going to be the case. And yes, I definitely think Will strays. He has already shown himself to be so unhappy with his life.

          2. In a sense Kate is Williams royal concubine. She’s there when he decides he needs her for something and others take precedence.

          3. It always makes me laugh when they make an appearance and people say how in love they look. It never appears that way to me. There is never a look of love. Who knows how they are behind closed doors. Maybe they are really happy. But I do think William has a wandering eye. He cheated on her when they were dating and she only stayed/put up with it because he is a prince. I don’t think they will ever divorce though because the Royal family needs a marriage to last for once. They need the good PR or else I think everyone would be fed up with the Royals. I think they will stay married no matter how miserable they are:(. Oh to be a fly on the wall and see what they are really like behind closed doors.

        2. It’s really sad that she doesn’t see any value in herself other than looking sexy.

  13. If Kate is over her HG already was it really HG or just a bad case of first trimester morning sickness? It sounded like fromother women on the net that HG doesn’t go away after three months.

    1. Yeah, I think Kate only had normal morning sickness this time and last time. From what I understand, never having had it myself, HG can ease up after the first trimester but it usually lasts well into the entire pregnancy.

  14. yep, queen maxima is to be admired, classy and elegant, leti, mary all these women are working very hard, dress appropriately, are raising beautiful families all without drama, really kate shes the younger one but shes so underwhelmed with everything she does, even dressing herself! Talk of lazy overgrown woman! Shes not a teenager, shes a future queen when will she get it that her role is not to be taken lightly!!

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