137 thoughts on “Kate Middleton repeats bright pink coat for last engagement before birth of second child”

1. Diana once said that the months leading up to Harry’s birth were the best and happiest of her/their marriage. I cannot believe that this is true for William and Kate. Not that they’re under some obligation to emulate the Wales’ marriage, God forbid! But it’s a shame. Less than five years, one kid, one on the way and if they announced a formal separation tomorrow only the Sugar Bowl would be surprised.

   1. “Sugar Bowl”?
      Oh thank you for the marvelous quote!

   2. Lol “Sugar Bowl”

   3. Bahaha!!

      1. Sugar overload can lead to delusions, don’t you know?

         1. Definitely an unhealthy state. Time for these two to get on a healthy diet and off the cheese and toast.

2. KMR, you are killing me right now; “as you can tell from the look he’s giving her…”, is one your best lines yet. Thank you for the belly laugh, I totally needed it!
   And the coat fits her exactly the same now as it did in the US. No signs of fabric pulling around the back, like one might expect. Do you think her clothes are constantly being tailored to accommodate the pregnancy? Either that or she hit the gene pool lottery.

   1. Thanks Ray!

      The lack of pulling, or at least filled-out-ness, today is what I don’t understand. The coat was super loose in Dec, so I understand how she still fits in it, but considering how much weight she’s supposed to have gained, she should be filling out that coat now, not having it fit the same as last time.

      1. Is there any chance, just wondering, could Kate buy multiples of clothing or accessories. Could she buy something (the coat) in 2 sizes? For instance, her old K.L. Bennett ‘Sledge’ heels. Does she own one pair, which has been kept pristine all those years, or does she buy multiple, thus looking thrifty.

         1. I never thought about buying multiples. The most possible for buying multiples would be her Sledges. I don’t know why she would buy multiples of her clothes, but maybe. She has had some of her clothes altered, though. Like that pick coat she wore to the races when she was pregnant with George and it was so obvious she had the buttons moved to accommodate her pregnancy.

3. Some comments from the engagements

   Victoria Murphy
   ‏@QueenVicMirror
   Not the usual response after meeting W&K but quite refreshing. One teen: “We are paying our taxes–we pay for them to live where they live.”
   https://twitter.com/QueenVicMirror/status/581478575309721600?lang=en

   Victoria Murphy
   ‏@QueenVicMirror
   Rare criticism of Will & Kate 2day from young person:”They are just keeping up appearances. They wanted to make it look like they related.”
   https://twitter.com/QueenVicMirror/status/581476949849182208?lang=en

   Also a lot of teens who were interviewed commented on how high her heels were, but nothing else about her.

   I just don’t know what’s going on with these two. I also don’t get the “game changer” statement either. It means they’ll have more help to take care of the new baby and they’ve been through it once, so it’s not like they’ll be shocked by sleepless nights, etc. Boy I would love to sit down with him and just find out what’s going on.

   ETA: I fixed the links.

   1. Thanks, Lisa, for sharing this. I was going to add this to the thread. This is telling. The younger generation is not falling for it and Jason needs to be worried.

   2. I can only guess that the ‘game changer’ implies that they’ve done the heir and the spare, and that the princeling’s duty is fulfilled for Queen and country and he sees himself as freeeeeeee to bugger off and do whatever (circumspectly, of course). I see a table dance in his future.

      1. That’s a possibility. It could mean it’s a game changer in terms of their marriage. Like, now that he’s produced the heir and the spare he really will stop pretending to be any sort of husband to Kate and will go off and do his own thing and never see her again unless it’s at royal events or for royal duties or something. But that goes against the idea that he loves having Carole around to make him cheese on toast. So who knows. I think things will definitely change for them and we will see the even less happy and connected than the already are.

   3. Sooo glad someone said this “publicly”! Of course I’m sure the press have barely mentioned it.

4. Ah Kate! When I read the DM article and saw the quote where Kate asked about editing, I just rolled my eyes. It is not just you KMR! She is supposedly college educated and that is the best question she could ask? I feel like maybe she didn’t do any research and therefore could not think of a proper question to ask. She might as well have asked them “do you write the pieces yourself?”

   I am with you on this coat. I never liked it. I don’t see why she didn’t wear a maternity coat. This one just hangs on her. And the collar looks like it is choking her. Also, the neon pink color just washes her out! Sorry, I obviously didn’t like much today. I did think her hair and makeup looked nice, even if she did fiddle with her hair a lot.

   I appreciate the honestly of the teenagers, instead of everyone just kissing their butts. I am a little surprised though that any publication is acknowledging those comments since they really say what the Royals are like. They can’t really relate. Although, the DM has a follow up comment from that teenager: ‘Other than that, they were very considerate. They genuinely cared about what we said.’ I feel like his first reaction was genuine and then its like someone said something to him, so the kid then made a nicer comment about the Royals. He probably didn’t want William coming after him for libel ;).

   1. A great question would have been: “What types of stories or events do you cover in the magazine?” There are other things she could have asked; asking whether they edit their articles or not is so dumb.

      I actually thought her hair looked pretty (it was very curly and bouncy), and would have not been as constrictive if she hadn’t worn such a constricting collar.

      Yeah, the first comment is always the true one, and anything after that is a qualifier made because one feels like one has to for whatever reason.

      1. Now ya’ll know it was all downhill after “Can you test the smell by smelling it” LOL

         1. LOL

5. Are you sure that’s actually Kate shopping and not a photo double? It seems like it would be too much work for her at this point to actually shop on her own. 😉 Oh Willy, if you don’t want people taking pictures of you in public, RETIRE from the royal life and go live in Anglesey or Norfolk or wherever and let Harry take over (as I think he may be preparing for).

   1. Re the photo at Bath. Is William giving the photographer a “stink eye” or is it just that he is looking like crap and it just looks like he doesn’t want his photo taken? He was a good looking guy at one stage and a cute kid but it seems like he is more and more unhappy and it’s showing as his looks deteriorate.

      1. Will used to be so hot circa 2002, and he’s gone downhill ever since.

         1. I agree. William was once quite the dashing prince. Looks like the genetics caught all the way up with him. Charles has more hair than him at this point, lol.
            Seriously though, he looks like life just hit him, BAM.

            1. I had wondered if it was being in a marriage he felt trapped has worn him down and the outside is reflecting how the inside is feeling.

   2. The look is also probably because Will knows that he wouldn’t be able to sue the photographer. He’s on a public street (I’m assuming), so he’s fair game.

      We’ve seen that look from him so often, it makes me think of the the old wives’ tale. “If you keep doing that, your face might stay that way.”

      1. “If you keep doing that, your face might stay that way.”

         Maybe that’s why we never see him smile.

6. “Do you edit each other’s work” is a question that had some potential if she had phrased it in a more open-ended way. I would like to know how the kids are learning to be diplomatic in editing the work of their peers! Better options might be “tell me about your editing process”, or “what are some things you’ve learned about providing honest feedback without hurting feelings? Have you learned about ‘constructive’ criticism?”

   1. I think Kate needs to learn the value of the open-ended question. She tends to ask a lot of yes/no questions that could be answered with a single word. A question that invites the other person or other people to elaborate encourages conversation.

      1. I think that her conversational skills are poor, probably because she hasn’t had much experience talking with people from different walks of life. She has lived her entire adult life inside an insulated bubble of privilige. The same goes for William – and if the children picked up on their “facade” then they must be rather poor in their attempts to relate. But that’s just the effect of living an insultated and sheltered life. Neither of them have ever had to worry about paying the bills, staying employed, working hard to achieve something worthwhile in life. They have had everything handed to them – him from the royal establishment and her from her family.

         Regarding William’s comment to the aspiring lawyers:
         Ugh, I swear I grow to dislike him more and more everytime he opens his gob. The practice of law is such much more than suing people. The law is one of the pillars of every civilized society – it is supposed to protect people from injustice. It is like he can’t even see the bigger picture but only the world right in front of his privileged snozz.
         It is the same when he argues for his conservation cause. Wildlife conservation is about soo much more than how sad it would be for his privileged son to grow up in a world without elephants and rhinos. It is a social-economic problem as well as an ecological problem because when a species disappears from an eco-system, the consequences can be unforseen and deeply damaging. That’s why he, IMO, constantly fails in his role – he can’t see the big picture because he is so self-absorbed and insulated in his comfy little royal bubble.

         1. William talked to two students who wanted to be lawyers, and in response William said, “It would be fun to sue people.”

            Seriously? I am with you about disliking William with every movement of his mouth. He can’t be serious… That is just about one of the stupidest comments I have ever heard. What was he thinking? Where do him and Kate get their people/ conversation skills from? I am actually quite appalled.

            I also agree this is because they have NOT had much experience dealing with real people, in the real world. A handshake here and there and an hour today and another next month is simply not enough to really grasp and understand anyone whom lives differently and under completely different circumstances.

            They can try all they want but as stated, they will typically always fail in this department.

            1. In terms of Will’s lack of conversational skills – you know he’s never actually had to be INTERESTING to have people hanging around him and appear to be admiring him – he is a future king. He’s coasted through life due to his birth and Kate has coasted due to her looks, her parents’ money and Will’s interest in her. Neither of them have ever had to develop a personality or pursue any real interests like us regular folks. It makes them terribly boring, but it’s their loss really.

            2. Undoubtedly William’s only use of lawyers is to sue and he most likely equates all lawyers as dealing only with that practice. He does have a bad case of foot in mouth disease which is making him more unappealing and more of a liability to be out in public.

               Both he and Kate need to step out of their rarified, privileged world and develop some intelligent social/conversational skills.

            3. So, I am not the biggest William fan, but I think this is not really fair. The conversation has been changed. The kid he was talking to said he wanted to be a lawyer so that he could sue people. There was a conversation between him and William about it. William didn’t just bring up suing people out of the blue. The kid was the one who did because suing people was the reason he wanted to be lawyer. Then two then joked back and forth about it. William does things wrong, but in this case, he actually I think did fine talking with the kid.

            4. Oh. That makes more sense then. The comment is still stupid but from a kid it’s understandable (when I saw Legally Blonde when I was young I wanted to be a lawyer so I could do what she did in the court room, not knowing that lawyer-ing is mostly about paper work – and for the record, yes I’m saying I was stupid when I was a kid). I didn’t check back with the articles to see if the story had changed. The way the story was written in the original version of the article made it seem like William brought up suing on his own.

         2. very true re William not seeing the bigger picture.

            1. That is his biggest failing as a spokesperson for any sort of cause. If he can’t see the bigger picture then he’s not really helpful – and nothing he has said publicly so far has given me any reason to believe that he can se beyond the tip of his own nose. Add to that the fact that he doesn’t really seem to think things through – like his infamous statement about wanting to destroy all the ivory artifacts in the royal collection! That statement landed him right smack in the middle in another hot debate – about the willfull and ideologically motivated destruction of cultural artifacts. Something that is played out right now in Iraq where ISIS is bulldozing the ruins of Babylon and Nineveh.

               Frankly, I just think that William is an ignorant and entitled prat who really hasn’t much to offer the world.

            2. Well, William was the right person for that kid (boy) to talk to about becoming a lawyer so he could sue people. Maybe he brought it up himself to relate more to William since everybody knows how litigious he is. Of course, William as the older, supposedly wiser person could have advised that all lawyers do not sue, that lawyers do practice in other fields. As AH and others have mentioned, he doesn’t see the bigger picture.

      2. I think that her conversational skills are poor, probably because she hasn’t had much experience talking with people from different walks of life. She has lived her entire adult life inside an insulated bubble of privilige. The same goes for William – and if the children picked up on their “facade” then they must be rather poor in their attempts to relate. But that’s just the effect of living an insultated and sheltered life. Neither of them have ever had to worry about paying the bills, staying employed, working hard to achieve something worthwhile in life. They have had everything handed to them – him from the royal establishment and her from her family.

         Regarding William’s comment to the aspiring lawyers:
         Ugh, I swear I grow to dislike him more and more everytime he opens his gob. The practice of law is such much more than suing people. The law is one of the pillars of every civilized society – it is supposed to protect people from injustice. It is like he can’t even see the bigger picture but only the world right in front of his privileged snozz.
         It is the same when he argues for his conservation cause. Wildlife conservation is about soo much more than how sad it would be for his privileged son to grow up in a world without elephants and rhinos. It is a social-economic problem as well as an ecological problem because when a species disappears from an eco-system, the consequences can be unforseen and deeply damaging. That’s why he, IMO, constantly fails in his role – he can’t see the big picture because he is so self-absorbed and insulated in his comfy little royal bubble.

         1. Well said, ArtHistorian. I always look forward to your commentary.

            1. Thanks – and I’ve somehow managed to double-post. Computers and me are not friends – we have a very truce. They promise to behave and I won’t spill sticky things on them.

            2. “They promise to behave and I won’t spill sticky things on them.”

               LOL

         2. Nice analysis – well thought out and written. Should go in the comment “hall of fame.” We need a comment “hall of fame” KMR!

         3. Very well said! Especially with your observations about Will.

      3. I agree. Usually, people like talking about themselves. And people tend to like people who let them talk about themselves. So people will like Kate more if she asked open-ended questions and let people talk about themselves. It would also come off better to all of us because it would seem like she actually has a handle on what’s going on and actually cares about what the people have to say.

         1. My father always says that you can learn a lot by listening to other people – even if it is just small talk. He often does that at parties – letting people speak and just listening. I think that is something that many people today have difficulties with – in my experience most people love to talk about themselves – and I guess that can be hard to restrain that impulse when your job is to listen to other people – and not draw attention to you or your own life at these events. William really don’t get that.

            I met a gracious royal lady last year – and it was very interesting to see her interact with people – but what she did the most was just listening to people and filing things away in her memory.

7. Dress coat, high heels, sausage curls eating her face, bla bla bla.

   But, WHO is that lady in the green and black? Awesome look.

   1. The lady in the green-and-black outfit does look great. I can see Maxima wearing that!

   2. Is the woman in green and black Stephen Lawrence’s mother Doreen?
      Big ups to Doreen and her family for turning her son’s murder into a positive. It’s a great memorial to her son and he should be congratulated for her bravery.

      1. Yes, very well done to Mrs. Lawrence for making a greater good of a tragedy. I would hope that I would have the strength and dignity to do that if, God forbid, I found myself in a similar position.

   3. Doreen Lawrence

      1. Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

8. William always seems to sound like a fool. He has no sense of humor and is always this side of being boring. Will and Kate could get so much goodwill by dressing down. Slacks, sweater, etc. This will make them more relatable and approachable. They are the two oldest 33 year olds that I have ever seen. Kate took a step forward by her statement yesterday. A huge step back for being trotted out like a broodmare today.

   As far as her clothes, I’m tired of her hiding her pregnancy, but it’s nil now. She looks good when she wears maternity. I hate to play to the conspiracy theorists, but something in that milk ain’t clean. The hair needs to be cut 6 inches, darkened, weave removed and pulled back. I like the earrings though.

   1. The earrings are very pretty.

   2. I kind of feel like William is always attempting humor, but it just doesn’t come out well because he has no idea what is funny. He thinks he’s such a conversationalist who is so funny and charming, but nothing he says is actually funny and it’s more cringe-worthy than charming.

      1. Perhaps, he inherited his sense of humor from Prince Andrew. The one where the only one laughing is the Prince.

         1. Lol.
            However, I do think that William is revealing more and more similarities with Andrew.

      2. ” He thinks he’s such a conversationalist who is so funny and charming”

         This is the downside to having people hanging off your every word and kissing your butt all your life. Diana, who could read people, would have been very helpful with this. But all Will has is Kate and Carole telling him he’s perfect as is.

         1. Not to mention all his “friends” who tell him whatever he needs to hear in order for them to stay “friends” with him. And by “friends”, I mean hangers on (like Guy Pelly); and random chicks who wanted to bang a prince (I’m sure Harry gets this all the time).

            I doubt William has ever heard someone speak straight to him with no BS. Everyone all his life has probably been telling him how great he is, how funny he is, how charming he is; so he thinks he’s a natural and doesn’t have to work at it. So he doesn’t work at it and the result is stupid, unfunny attempts at humor that make people uncomfortable.

            1. Poor un-self aware William.

9. The second child is “a game changer”. What does that even mean?

   1. That’s such a curious statement to make. Game changing how?

   2. As MavenTheFirst said up thread, maybe it means Will doesn’t have to pretend to be a husband anymore now that the heir and the spare have both been produced? And he can go off and do whatever he wants now that his “duty” is done?

      I still think it’s a weird statement though

      1. I can’t remember where I read it and not sure if it was even true, but I thought that William and Kate stated they wanted three children.
         I assume he meant it is a game changer because they seemed to “struggle” so much with George entering their lives. Now not only do they have to deal with a child entering the terrible two’s, they will have a newborn baby. Assuming that Kate did NOT breast feed, they have nanny Maria, another one on the way, a new housekeeper on the way, plus all the other help they already have set up (from Carole to any other hired help), I assume they just had a hard time adjusting, as in adding a new person to their life. The new baby will be even more of a “game changer” in the sense that they are now sharing their life with a second new person.

         I do not think this means William will take a mistress or leave Kate to be alone with the kids. At least not in the traditional sense. While William is busy playing helicopters, he will have plenty of time to leave Kate all alone. He will feel fulfilled, having fathered the heir and the spare and it will show.

         1. I remember reading something about them wanting three children, too (or maybe it was just Kate who wanted three kids? Actually the more I think about it it was a source said Kate wanted three kids that I read). But during the Oz/NZ tour when talking with a person during a walkabout William said he wanted two children. I remember thinking at the time that he wanted just as many children as he had to have, and no more. So there’s that. Not sure which is true.

            If George was such a challenge (one would even say “game changer” to their lives), why would the second one be the game changer when they already know what they are getting into since they already know the ropes because of George? I don’t know; he’s very confusing.

         2. I think that it is Kate who wants 3 children, which is quite normal and predictable because she comes from a family of 3 children. On an unconscious level, people tend to want the same number of children as in the family they themselves grew up in.

            I don’t know how many children William wants.

            1. “On an unconscious level, people tend to want the same number of children as in the family they themselves grew up in.”

               Really? Huh. If I were to have children, I would want at least two, possibly three. I am an only child. It’s the fact that I’m an only child that is why I would want more than one kid, because I grew up very lonely and wouldn’t want my child to experience the same loneliness. A sibling is a build-in playmate.

            2. That was it KMR. It was something that was said while they were on tour.

            3. I have a twin sister who’s a minute older than me. Personally I want at least three kids. My mother was one of four, her mother was one of three girls, my paternal grandmother was one of four and my paternal grandfather was one of eight. Having a larger family is better in some ways b/c there’s always something going on and someone around.

            4. This subject was brought up in a class of one of my old room mates. Her professor asked all the people in the class to write down how many children they wanted. Then he asked them to write down how many children were in the family they grew up in – and the two numbers matched with almost all of the students.

               We joked about that with her because she wanted 5 children – she was the youngest of 5 children and she also had 5 step-siblings. We told her that she had better get started with having children. 😉

      2. I can’t believe he’d put his intentions right out there publicly re the game changer statement. But William is a legend in his own mind, so maybe he feels he can just say whatever he wants and it’ll be acceptable.

   3. I actually think the statement makes sense. Most people who have kids will tell you that one child changes things, but two makes things completely different. Taking care of two kids is a whole new ball game from taking care of one. And I know that Will doesn’t really do anything inside the house, but I think he was saying this to relate to people. I don’t think there is really any hidden meaning, but it is quite true that having 2 kids from 1 really is different and I think that was all he was trying to say.

      1. Overit, I agree with all your comments on here. W can be a prat, but my god he’s being criticised for everything and anything here and the credibility is suffering as a result,
         Going from one to two kids is a game changer, fact. Not curious, not weird, just fact. Jeez.

      2. I’ve actually never heard that about the second kid, but that may be due to my limited experience around people who are having babies. I’ve only heard it about the first kid (for the obvious reasons), and the third kid (because then the parents are outnumbered).

         I still stand behind my original comment in the post of “I don’t see why, considering it’s not like Will and Kate have to take care of two babies all on their own, but whatevs.” Because they aren’t the normal couple raising two kids on their own. But if he said it just to try and relate to people, then fine I guess.

      3. Agreed, Overit. Been there, done that myself. My kids are 21 months apart…my son definitely changed the game! That comment of William’s was actually quite astute; the fact that he’s understanding that the family dynamics will be changing and affecting them all in a big (but better!) way. If his head was completely in the clouds, I don’t think this would have crossed his mind.

10. Why do so many of Kate’s coats have those ponderous pocket flaps? They surely aren’t real pockets, as that would ruin the “line” of the coat, and it’s not as if she’s actually going to stuff a tissue, chapstick and some Altoids in there. Are they there for some sort of embellishment? I think they just look like an unnecessary afterthought. Horrid.

    1. Duchess McPocket Flaps

       1. That’s good!

    2. It’s fashion. Certainly not unique to Kate.

11. One of my favorite blogs has a terse exchange between William and Kate. It is the video. You also can see how old their skin looks for people so young. Hard partying in your twenties wastes zero time catching up to you.

    http://lookagiraffe.tumblr.com

    1. That’s a great site! I like how Kate goes to brush away hair that isn’t even there – she’s so used to making that motion.

       1. I thought the very same thing.

    2. I’m totally making assumptions and probably seeing what I want to see, but Kate looks like she either wants to cry or throw up. And Harry looks like an uncomfortable third wheel at someone else’s argument.

       1. Harry looks extremely uncomfortable and did not appear to even look at Will and Kate for that matter.

       2. I thought the very same thing, bookworm, EXACTLY. When she does that uncomfortable swallow….she’s holding back something

    3. Funny site. Loved it, lol!
       I still don’t see how Kate’s skin looks so old. Yeah she has some lines in her forehead and around her mouth but jeez. People age and get wrinkles. It is part of life for most women after the age of 25. Many people have lines in their foreheads.
       I am a couple years younger than Kate and I too, like to Botox my forehead and without fillers, I look a bit hardened myself.

       1. Ageging is also determined by genetics to a large extent. Some people age quickly and get grey early, some keep their youthful looks longer. How skinny you are is also a factor.

          1. My grandmother’s sister was completely white-haired by the time she was 17 (or something like that).

             1. My father has only gone completely grey at 78.

                An old room mate of mine got quite grey in his early 20s and his older brother who was about 30 looked like he was 17!

                Genetics are funny and strange.

       2. Being a few years younger than Kate would make you 29 oir 30, yes?
          And, you are using botox? If you keep that up, what’s your face going to look like when you are 45? Seriously, how long can you use fillers and just how will you look after using them for 15 or more years? That’s something I have always wondered about. The extreme interest in staying younger looking used to hit women in their 40s, now in their late 20s or 30s. I am Kate’s age and I have two active children. I don’t think I look young or old Just in my early 30s. That’s me. I don’t mean to be harsh, I am just wondering That’s all.

12. My first thought was that she absolutely NO sense of what is appropriate. She wore bright pink to visit the 9-11 Memorial, a somber (and tacky) black dress when visiting children and then bright pink again when she was visiting people who were related to someone who was murdered. Her facial expressions at this even disgust me as well because she clearly feels like she’s on the home stretch of all her exhausting work, showing up for an hour, grinning inanely, and receiving flowers, and basically has a f all y’all attitude. No doubt she has plenty of lavish vacations planned for herself to recover from her grueling job and then to recover from the strain of passing the new baby off to the second nanny. She is a repulsive human being. Just disgusting. Props to the kid that called her out for just showing up for appearance’s sake and pointing out that his taxes pay for her life. She should be mortified, but I think she just doesn’t care, as long as she can shop and go on holidays.

    1. Here’s my take on the facial expressions she was pulling. And remember it’s just my thoughts and something I’m picking up from previous visits she’s made as well.

       As Art Historian said earlier, Kate lived in a bubble. That bubble reflected her image. Kate is not comfortable around people who do not reflect her image. When Kate is not comfortable, she overcompensates with the facial expressions to feign interest, concern, compassion, whatever and she ends up looking stupid. The kids called her for fake because she was faking it.

       And if I have to point it out, the meeting with LeBron James, the mayor of NYC’s wife, recently she shook hands with a lady a person away from her and basically ignored the other when she was introduced. She’s also done it with children, not very keen on handing out hugs and handshakes.

       I’m not calling her racist, because I don’t think she is (at least I hope she isn’t) but she flat out does not know how to deal with anyone outside of the socioeconomic bubble that Carole has raised her to aspire to. William and Harry have had experience with all kinds of people and it shows. Kate acts like she’s going to catch something if she gets too close.

       Again, just my opinions. And just so everyone knows, I am a person of color and I’ve been holding back on pointing this out about her, but after seeing some of the photos from yesterday it really bothered me. This is the future Queen Consort of a country that is filled with all kinds of people. She needs to get it together.

       1. I am a person of color too and I also noticed this. I am very cautious about using the “r” word when describing people. It’s one of those words that you cannot take back. I do agree that Kate may not have met folks outside of her own “bubble”. I just think that she cannot relate and doesn’t know what to do. I’m not saying that Will, Kate, and Harry need to live in a Benetton add, but come on. The one thing that rankled me about Kate and Will was that their favorite drink is a crack baby. Really folks? With the drug epidemic as high as it is in the UK, can you not find a better named drink? There are so many connotations to that name.

          http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8139417/Royal-wedding-50-things-you-may-not-know-about-Kate-Middleton-and-Prince-William.html

          1. From the article you posted:

             “If Kate becomes Queen she will be the first British monarch with a degree.”

             NO. First, Kate will never be monarch. If William becomes King, Kate will be the wife of the monarch, but she will not be monarch. Second, everyone forgets that Prince Charles has a degree from Cambridge. If Charles becomes king, HE will be the first monarch with a university degree.

             1. Charles will be the first British monarch with a university degree.

                King Felipe of Spain has degrees from The Autonomous University of Madrid and Georgetown University. King Willem-Alxeander of Holland has a degree for Leiden University.

                Among the immediate royal heirs in Europe, CP Frederik of Denmark has degree from Aarhus University (he also studied at Havard), CP Victoria of Sweden has a degree for Uppsala University and CP Haakon Magnus of Norway has degrees from Berkeley and The London School of Economics.

             2. Am I the only one who finds this almost unbelievable? The first monarch to have a degree will be Charles? Okay, with all the old, historic universities in the UK, I found this very interesting.

             3. Well, the BRF has never been known for being among the smartest or most intellectual among European royal houses. You also have to factor in the fact that among QEII’s generation, young royals didn’t attend school in the normal sense of the word.

                QMII of Denmark went to a girl’s primary school but graduated the Danish equivalent to high school from private education. She studied at several universities but didn’t take a degree. It is mostly with the next generation of royals that it has become normal to take a degree from one or more universities – as I stated in my post above.

             4. There is a very proud strain of anti-intellectualism in the British Royal Family. Prince Philip and Prince Charles are two rare exceptions. Both are very well versed in subjects ranging from conservation to history to art. Philip has a large personal library as well. Partly the Royal Family doesn’t feel the need. They don’t need degrees in political science or law or philosophy b/c if there’s a constitutional issue, they follow the directives of the British Government. If the Prime Minister were to tell the Queen to sign her own death warrant, theoretically she would have to agree.

       2. OMG Kate seemed SOOOOO uncomfortable with LaBron James putting is arm around her. I don’t know whether that was because he is black, a stranger who randomly put his arm around her without asking, or because he’s a giant man and his stature would be intimidating (or any combination). I saw a segment on E News at the time of the LaBron incident and the girl said there was no protocol saying you can’t touch a royal, and that anyone can touch them if they want.

          I’m going to defend Kate for a second, because I am the type of person who does not like being touched, even by friends but especially by strangers. If a royal doesn’t want to be touched, the royal shouldn’t have to be touched (the Queen hates being touched). Their bodies are still their bodies and no one has the right to touch them without asking. If I were in Kate’s position during that incident, I would have been freaked out, too, because he’s a stranger randomly putting his arm around me (good lord, I hate going to festivals and anywhere where there are a lot of people because I freak out at so many people bumping into me – I really hate being touched). I actually felt bad for Kate when I saw the photos of her with LaBron because she looked so uncomfortable with his arm around her, and that’s the reaction I would have had if a random stranger put their arm around me. Actually, mine probably would have been worse.

          If Kate is the type of person who doesn’t like being touched by any stranger no matter their skin color, then I would be fine with that because that’s how I am. Some people just don’t like being touched and don’t like hugging people. I realize that a lot of people take offense when someone refuses, or is uncomfortable with, a hug or a handshake, but since I am like that, I think it’s fine if someone is like that.

          Having said all that, I do think Kate is uncomfortable with people who are not like her in general. She seems to be fine when it’s a celeb she’s talking to (or a dude in a military uniform), but she is always uncomfortable around kids and poor people and sick people and handicapped people. So basically she’s uncomfortable around most of the people she talks to.

          When I was looking through the photos of the visits, I saw pics of her and William talking and shaking hands with people from the XLP mobile studio and she looked uncomfortable with them as well. I don’t know if the pics I’m thinking of are the same ones that bothered you, Lisa, but the “is Kate racist” thought entered my mind for a bit after seeing those photos.

          I don’t know if she is racist, I would hope that she isn’t, but she does seem super uncomfortable around most people.

          This would be fine if she were some random chick, but since she is a royal and the future Queen Consort, this is a huge problem. She needs to get over whatever social anxiety she has and learn to deal with all types of people because she is going to be dealing with all types of people for the rest of her life.

          PS. I actually disagree with you a bit re William and Harry. I think Harry seems comfortable with everyone, but even William seems a bit uncomfortable with people who are not like him.

          1. I do take that back. I think that Harry is a people person and can relate to just about anyone. There was an engagement with Will at BP with young kids in the tech industry. Harry looked so at ease. Will reminded me of a relic from the 18th century.

             I will say that Harry’s work with Sentebale makes my heart warm. He’s found a charity that he enjoys and gets as much as he gives. The recent pictures he took of the kids were warm and loving. That is Diana’s greatest legacy. While William may favor his mother physically, Harry is Diana with his warmth, genuine spirit and the ability to relate to everyday people. I bet Kate would never be unguarded like that.

             1. rhiannon,

                I think you hit the nail on the head. Harry gives something of himself when he interacts with people – and that shows. I experience something similiar when I teach or give guided tours – I always give something of myself, my joy and passion about art – and I get so much in return. It creates a sort of feedback loop between me and the audience and I always feel incredibly energized after having given a tour, even if I was in a bad mood when I started.

                I don’t think that William has the same easygoing personality like his brother – and considering his paranoia about his privacy I also have the feeling that he really don’t want to share anything of himself (as a person – not just info) with people outside of his cosy little bubble.

             2. Rhiannon, I agree totally. I also would add that he has some sense of duty, from Charles or the Queen, I don’t know. But he seems (to me) to be a bit more willing to preserve the institution of the monarchy, while Willy seems far more selfish. Harry would be an interesting monarch and very relatable to the average person. Willy seems to despise relating with the average person. They’re calling Katie’s lack of work “maternity leave”. From WHAT?

          2. KMR, I agree with you about no one, including a royal, or any celebrity, anyone anywhere should not be touched if they don’t want to be touched. Like you, I don’t like it (except for handshakes) and I usually, very kindly, tell anyone who is zooming in for a bear hug to stop right there…I do the “it’s not you, it’s me” thing and never give it another thought.

             However, we live in an incredibly” hugging and touching” world, and I think it would seem to be rude if Kate backed off and said, “don’t touch”. Since appearances are so important for her, she would definitely be judged as rude and unkind, even though that might not be fair. I think your next-to-the last paragraph is really profound: Whatever is going on with her, she needs to get over it, if for no other reason than her position. This is one area in which she doesn’t have the “luxury” of pulling back and saying “no way”, as you and I do.

          3. I agree with you KMR about Kate being uncomfortable around people, although I wonder if she’s any better when it’s more one-on-one, without the media being present? I know I would be super uncomfortable trying to make small talk (which I can barely do in the best of situations) with banks of cameras taking in my every move.

             Sometimes I feel that the years she spent waiting for the ring could have been spent learning some of the tricks of the royal trade, so to speak, if only the Firm had stepped up and given her some lessons in conversation, deportment, poise, etc. Or Carole could have sent her to some type of finishing school, the type where young ladies of station learn how to make small talk, entertain correctly, etc. Either way neither the Royal family or her own have done her any favors by coddling her and not demanding earlier in the relationship that she either get out in the world and get a job or take the time needed to learn these valuable lessons. If they had we wouldn’t be seeing mishaps like today or the flashing, crotch clutching, poor posture, silly facial expressions, etc..I’m sure you get my drift.

             1. Kate’s behavior over the years has shocked me quite a bit but I now know why. William allowed her to be ill prepared for this role due to his irresponsible habits and lack of sincerity towards his role.

                Look at it this way:
                William was so busy looking for someone to have his idea of “normal” no fuss fun with at university, that he did not stop to think about preparing Kate or any girl at that time for a life of being under a microscope or representing the RF. He wanted to have fun and Kate was willing to do whatever. Kate and William used to go out with friends, shared a flat with their university pals, drank beer out of the bottle, wore torn up jeans and sneakers and probably slept in past noon on more than one occasion. Then they shacked up in their own places paid for by Charles and the Middletons until they got married.

                During their brief 2007 breakup, Kate refused to work because at that point, it was below her. I don’t want to hear about the gig at Jigsaw. That does not count to me. It was like an activity to keep her from going nuts while waiting for Williams call.

                All of this added up to the girl he liked to call his best friend/ girlfriend/ party pal, becoming his wife and she was very ill prepared. I blame William. He has always been so pressed to stay out of the spotlight and lead this make believe normal, private life and it was the wrong way to go about it. He had every resource necessary to prepare him and his future spouse to be the some of the most well- spoken and respectable people in the RF.

                I do not think he intended to marry her at all for quite some time. I have the feeling that he assumed they would never allow him to marry her, that they already picked one for him, etc. I think during the break up, Charles told him not to be the “chip off the ol’ block” and just marry who he wants. At that point, he played around with Kate for almost 10 years, time started to catch up to him and instead of training and prepping her, they just had fun. Now we see where this “normal” life got him and her. They both look like fools and cannot even feel comfortable around underprivileged citizens in their own country. Kate cannot even deliver a decent speech as we all know.

                Like the Queen said, it is amazing what training can do. Obviously Kate was not trained well and Williams hard ass head is the reason for it. He did not allow himself to be properly trained.

             2. William wasn’t married to Kate or anyone else, therefore it wasn’t his job to prepare anyone for anything. It was Kate’s fault and problem, and hers only, that she sat on her ass and did nothing for 10+ years, not William’s.

          4. KMR-I have a very mild form of autism, which makes me VERY sensitive to touch (sensory overload from loud, confusing stimuli goes along with it; I would never go to loud outdoor concerts, etc). I feel very similar to you. People pat me on the arm or the hand or the shoulder and sometimes I have to remember to not physically lash out at them. I’ve read that the Queen hates being touched almost to the point of a phobia. Also I know that touching the monarch as a no-no goes back to medieval times when the Sovereign was considered semi-divine (“By the Grace of God”) and as such the royal touch had to be used very sparingly, to help heal leapers or some such. Now it’s become part of protocol and good manners, though some of the younger royals (Bea, Eug, Harry) seem relaxed about it. If that is Katie’s problem, I have a bit of sympathy for her.

       3. Lisa, I think your analysis is excellent.

    2. If I were her, I would be, as you say, mortified that some kid called me out for only showing up for appearances sake. But Kate probably doesn’t even know that kid said that. I’m sure her team just tell her the good stuff.

13. KMR – I’ve got some numbers to share — let me know how they compare to your records! DuchessKateTracker clocked Kate at 14 vacation days in Mustique — but just 13 days of appearances at home!
    Breaks out to:
    8 days (14 appearances) on behalf of the royal family
    2 days as a member of the royal family (church attendance)
    3 days as patron of a charity
    We also have 3 no press events – 2 meetings at the Foundation, and one day entertaining the outgoing director of the National Gallery at KP. Further we have two press releases – one video shot the same day as an appearance, and one written statement to the Times.

    On the spotted around town we’ve got:
    1 Party at the Anniversary of a Hotel
    4 Shopping Days
    2 Days out with George (no photos – science museum, bucklebury playground)
    1 Funeral

    can check the details at: http://duchesskatetracker.blogspot.com/
    Looking forward to your Quarterly Review with analysis!

14. She looks exactly the same size she did in NYC when she first wore this coat

    1. Right?! It seems so weird that she would not be filling out the coat more now that she’s eight months pregnant as compared to, what, four or five months pregnant and barely showing last time.

       1. I’m with the above poster who said that perhaps Kate bought two coats in different sizes since she liked the coat so much. Otherwise, it may have been let out a bit?
          It does seem curious to me that she remains so small throughout her pregnancies. Especially since PG was a big baby. Who knows, some women may be luckier than others in the way they carry.
          As for William’s comment about how great it would be to become a lawyer so you could sue people, UGH. I simply cannot believe he would make such an idiotic statement.

          And, what did he mean by the second baby being a game changer? Now, there’s no way out of the marriage? Or, now I am free to lead my own life and she can live her life because we produced both an heir and a spare! What did he mean????

          I think he suffers from depression. Sad, but he’s in a position to get help, yes? I also think he is totally inept when it comes to meeting and conversing with the public. And, yes, I have always believed Harry is the one of Diana’s two sons who inheritted her special ways of loving and relating to others.

          I was so hopeful with Kate’s last few appearances. Thought she was finally getting into the working aspect of her role as Duchess of Cambridge. Now, I wonder. Hopefully, she will follow through with her interest in helping children with depression.
          Of course, she will be “so busy” after giving birth So busy? Are they hiring a second Nanny, or will Carole be totally taking over mothering her own daughter? PG and the new baby? When do you think she will make an appearance after showing off Baby Two on the steps of the hospital. And, do you all think she will channel Diana again and choose a red dress when leaving the hospital after giving birth?
          I try to be more positive, but sometimes I wonder….

          1. Even if it were let out, she would look bigger than what she did in NYC. She doesn’t.

15. I love her hair this way; I think it looks good and softens her masculine face. She has a bone structure that works well in photographs but will age poorly, especially since she is underweight. Don’t get me wrong – I think she is pretty – but definitely not naturally feminine at this weight level.

    As for her questions – I understand why we don’t get very many quotes. I think her press office wants her to fail. Otherwise they would give her a few specific questions to ask during the short time she is at an event. Surely she can remember a few questions. Then she wouldn’t sound so bad every time she opened her mouth. If she were smart and willing she would be working with a speech coach and a publicist to learn the business. I don’t know why she hasn’t done this yet other than extreme anxiety, an extreme lack of interest in doing her job well, or ignorance from a sheltered life.

    1. They may give her specific questions and she may not bother to read them. They may give her a briefing packet filled with info about the organization and people she’ll be meeting, and she just doesn’t read it. OR they don’t give her anything and set her up to fail. There is no way to know. But if her team were doing their jobs properly, there would be a briefing packet. And if she were doing her job properly, she’d read it.

    2. I’m not sure what motivation her own press office would have for her to fail. If she did, their own jobs would be at stake.

16. She is never cutting that hair because it is her trademark.

    1. I love long hair and Kate’s hair has always been a great envy of mine. I do however think it is getting too heavy at the ends. She looked like the Lion King with those curls.

       1. You got to admit, though, Simba had beautiful hair.

       2. Actually she reminds me more of The Cowardly Lion after he gets his hair done before he meets the wizard.

          1. OMG yes this exactly!!!!!

          2. Yes! LOL.

    2. Remember when Felicity cut her hair off, and the show ratings plummeted and got cancelled?

       Kate knows her hair is her best trademark and about the only thing she has going for her. She won’t cut it shoulder length until she is MAYBE 45.

17. Thanks for the great post KMR! The thing that confused me about this visit was the interactions between W&K. At times they seemed to be getting along well and enjoying each others company and then in the next moment William is totaling ignoring her. This seems to be a common thread through their recent joint engagements lately which makes me wonder if the pregnancy hormones are making Kate a little difficult to deal with or if William is upset because Kate has been getting out there and doing her job which has been making him look bad.

    Again, I thought Kate looked nice today, nothing wow or great, but nice. I know you like long hair KMR, but I think her’s really needs a good trim. IMO, when it’s this length it seems to drag her facial features down which isn’t doing her any favors. I prefer her hair at the length is was during the engagement interview.

    Yesterday I thought I heard a strange thudding sound, then I realized that it was probably Jason banging his head on his desk when he found out about William’s “it’s fun to sue people” comment.

    1. LOL, Laurie of CA. Jason’ banging his head on the table after hearing William’s remarks about “it being fun to sue people.” OMG!

    2. William is always ignoring Kate. When you look at videos, she’s always the one that has to initiate the conversation or insert herself into the conversation. Of course he has to respond back to not be seen as rude by the public.

       1. And he usually looks annoyed when he does.

          1. Yup. But honestly, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this marriage hit the rocks a long time ago and William just plain doesn’t want to be bothered with her. Even at the wedding, William didn’t look happy. This was a relationship that should’ve ended a long time ago but William didn’t want to put in the effort to find and keep someone better and she didn’t want to let go of her meal ticket. Yet, if we can see that he doesn’t want to be bothered then I’m sure she can see it too. I mean, she’s not the brightest bulb is she, but I do think she knows it. Why she continually bothers him IDK. I have never understood women who continually throw themselves at men that don’t want them.

18. I wonder what could have happen to km in childhood that has delayed her developmental? the flashing,touching inapproprate body parts, desperately cling to parents, lack of social skills, no friends , cannot look after herself no indepence, sheltered & coddled by parents! The younger brother & sister are running their own lives! I do not believe it is because of dating & marrying billy! There is something that the parents do not want the public to know? If the public knew the reason then people would be more sympathic & understanding toward km! I realize it is none of my business & only my humble opinion! Anyone on this website work in the healthcare field? I would like to know your opinion please?

    1. I’ve felt something is off about her developmentally for some time now. Which could be one reason Carole is so very much hands on with her. It may bring her some sympathy from people, but I also think it will make some people ask why this wasn’t divulged before and if it will affect George and the future baby. George appears to be a very active and happy little boy.

       I also wonder if William knew or knows anything. And if he didn’t would he have proposed if there was something and he did.

       It’s all speculation, but it’s something to ponder.

    2. As a mental health nurse, I can only conclude that she is merely spoiled.
       I could never compare any of my patients to her sometimes.

19. One of my favourite quotes from a sugar recently has to be from a blog I just came across:
    “I like William’s choice of a tie to go with the cerise coat, in a subtly similar shade. It emphasizes the rapport between him and Kate.”

    Wow. This is honestly how they think…

    1. OMG I read that quote. On the same blog, someone said that the lady in green/black was wearing a pink ribbon and maybe that was why Kate wore the pink coat. HAAAAAAA. I can’t believe the sugars think Kate puts that much thought into her outfits that she would match a ribbon. If I were Kate I would just read those comments and laugh.

20. Random hypothetical question. It relates to the discussion above about how many kids they want. Is the firstborn allowed to not want to have kids? You know how some people just know that they don’t wish to have children? Is that an option who someone so directly in line for the throne, or is it a requirement to reproduce? Would they need to pretend that they just couldn’t conceive?

    1. As far as I know, there is no requirement to have to reproduce. Aside from maintaining the line of succession in the House of Windsor, there’s no need for it at all. There’s no official list even maintained. Karin Vogel is the last person in the line of succession at I believe number 4,974. Before the theory of gender equity in Western society, producing a male was of principal importance; Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon for giving him Mary I, created the Church of England for him to be head of and had Anne Boleyn’s head removed for producing Elizabeth I. Male line succession was important to ensure property and blood lines were maintained, since women weren’t allowed to keep their bloodline intact; they were married off. Nowadays it isn’t necessary, though when King George VI ascended the throne, there was a brief debate among senior courtiers and judges as to whether the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret had an equal claim in succession as both were female. Obviously it was quickly resolved that Elizabeth was first but I distinctly remember reading that in I THINK either Sarah Bradford’s book on George VI or Pimlott’s book on Elizabeth II, sorry I can’t remember which. Nowadays if an heir couldn’t or wouldn’t reproduce, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, I don’t think. Their brother or sister in line would simply be heir or heiress presumptive (I doubt heir apparent b/c the British maintain the theory that the Sovereign is always able to conceive a child, regardless of circumstances, but the sister or brother in line might become heir apparent, it would depend on the circumstance).

       1. Where there have been other heirs, it hasn’t been imperitive for the first in line to produce more kids eg Charles 2 was succeeded by his brother. Charles 2 had loads of illegitimate kids with lots of women, no legitimate child with his wife. William of Orange and Mary were succeeded by Mary’s sister Anne. It became desperate after Anne because there was no direct line heir after her. They didn’t think that would be the case since she had 17 pregnancies all of whom died as babies.

          William 4 succeeded his brother George 4.

          Henry 8 had no siblings, his lack of a male heir was really problematic since his death without one would have led to a civil war and or annexation of England by a foreign power as the line of succession went to them. No one wanted that. Katherine tried to give him a male heir, but miscarried or they died. Ditto Anne. He probably would have closed up shop after Edward’s birth, but Jane died, and onwards with more marriages.

          Each of the Tudors tried to provide an heir for same reasons, but in the end, the Kingdom went to the Scots – the Stuart Line.

          At the moment, there is an abundance of heirs. The Queen had 4 children. Each of them had 2. Add William’s son. That’s 11 direct line heirs ready and waiting at the top (even if we are asking all except the top 6 to step away or retire).

    2. Thanks for the repilies! I was thinking about it one day. Some couples choose not to have children and I was wondering that would be a choice that the heir would be allowed to make – or at least make public.

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