233 thoughts on “Prince William and Kate Middleton issue privacy warning to the press; Harry gets a kiss in OZ”

1. Two things:

   This letter is a response, I think, to the recent pics of other RF members at Sandringham. Charles was popped with a gun in his hand. That was a big deal because it had been a long time since he was shown hunting? Even though everyone knows he does? And Edward was shown wielding a gun close to his son, and was called a FOOL on the front pages. So yeah. There are enough public spaces on the estate for paps to lie in wait for pics of the whole Royal Family.

   I don’t buy that will live at Anmer together. They haven’t really lived together for the whole of their marriage. The Q and Phillip have returned to London, so presumably Wood Farm is now available for William. But I somehow think Kate will end up in Bucklebury. You know because the renovations aren’t finished. Or she needs a “much needed break”, or some shit.

   1. Hi Red Snapper, I’ve seen several people commenting here before about W&K not living together, can you explain to me why you think they don’t? I’m rather curious about this. thanks.

      1. Because they have been known to be in two different places at the same time. A lot. For years. That doesn’t sound convincing, I know but avid W and K watchers, like myself have spent enough time keeping tabs on them, as much as it is possible to do so, and know that don’t spend much time together, and haven’t since their wedding. Charles and Camilla spend lots of time apart also, and it seems to work for them. They seem very happy when they’re together. W and K, on the other hand often seem tense and distant. Not every second of every engagement, but enough.

         1. Charles do spend a good amount of time apart, but they have a system that works for them. She gets to spend time with her children and grandchildren and he gets to do his thing, then when they want to be they are together and happy.

            The problem with W&K is that they seem to be happier apart and when they are together they are grumpy. William is always clutching his fists when with Kate at engagements.

   2. I remember the Edward and Charles photo incidents. As I recall, the RF complain both times that the members were on private property and privacy and whatnot, and the press said there is no reasonable expectation to privacy when outside in full view of public walkways (the public are free to use the walkways that run through the estate). So Will and Kate may want to prevent that happening to them, but if they are in view of public walkways then I don’t think there is much they can do, right? They can ask the press to leave them alone, but there isn’t much else they can do.

      I agree with you that Kate will probably end up at Bucklebury at some point.

      1. No, they can sue. The fact that they don’t have a legal leg to stand on means they won’t win, but they will still be able to cry their tears and wave their fists at the sky. And the publicity plus the litigation costs will deter future photographers. Unless, of course, the pics have been sanctioned by Kate or Carole or whoever has the paps on speed dial these days.

         1. And William will pull out his Diana trump card once again.

         2. Or the photos are taken by Tash’s pap pal?

      2. Why don’t they just fence off a backyard area (you know, like the normal families they so want to be like) and have that as strictly off limits? In the end everyone risks having their photo taken in public, but I see no reason why they shouldn’t have a house and yard to live their normal lives. At least when you go shopping or to the park you know the risks.

         Of course if he wants to reduce public interest, he needs to release a shot of George and Charlotte, that’s the money shot they’re chasing. Maybe a shot of the family of four also.

         1. I looked up pics of Anmer, and I’m surprised that it is so close to a public road and church. I didn’t see any privacy fencing or anything in the pics I saw. As you suggested, they should put up some privacy fencing in the backyard to help with keeping their yard private. I don’t think anyone would have a problem with that.

            Legitimate question: how can an estate be “private” if it has public roads and churches on it?

            1. Found this on the “What Kate Wore” blog:
               http://whatkatewore.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Anmer-Hall-Privacy-Strictly-Private-No-Entry-Signs-2013-Parsons-i-images-polaris-1000-x-615.jpg

            2. Hm.

               I googled the church and found this Express article from Jan 2015. It says W&K created a new private gate separating Anmer from the Church, but it says the church is a village church.

               http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/384882/A-private-church-for-William-and-Kate-at-Sandringham

               Found another article from Hello that was about the Queen attending church at St. Mary Magdalene church and the article said the Queen was “originally due to attend St Mary the Virgin church* at Hillington on Sunday, but the service was cancelled after plaster fell off the ceiling on New Year’s Eve”.

               *The one next to Anmer Hall

               So the church is operational and open to the public. Maybe the “private” signs are specifically for the road they are next to (leading to Anmer Hall) and not the church?

               http://us.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2015011922917/the-queen-keeps-warm-cold-weather/

         2. The DM lists a walled garden as one of its amenities.

   3. Red, maybe that is one reason William doesn’t want any photos. That would be proof, over time, that they are living separately.

      1. my thoughts, exactly………..

   4. I think it is important to note that this letter didn’t come from the owner of the property (HM). It came from W&K’s office.

      I agree, Dag. Monitoring if they are really there, if she and the kids are in Berkshire, if he’s run off again, if he’s really training and eventually working a full schedule at EAAA. That’s what they don’t want the press doing.

      It will come down to either 1) proving Carole has moved onto Sandringham and into Anmer or 2) monitoring police activity and the black SUV brigade in Berkshire to see where KM is living. Where William lives is anyone’s guess.

      1. I think those are very good points. I think there might be some genuine concern for their kids not being photographed, but I think they also don’t want those photos to encourage other stories that they don’t want reported, like you mentioned – living seperately, how often Carole is there, and how much they are (not) working. It could be legitimate, or it could also be a very convenient cover.

      2. Very true. William is more interested in protecting himself than anyone else.

   5. First of all, Kate is supposed to be using sister Pippa’s eggs fertilized by Wills. Camilla has said that due to illness as an adolescent Kate can’t have children…. (hence) her grave morning sickness if there are different blood types between sisters. It is genetically impossible for two light eyed parents to have a brown eyed child although two browned eyed parents CAN have light eyed kids due to resesive genes. Check out the resemblance of George and Pippa’s with Pippa’s foto as a bridesmaid when she was quite young.

      Next, I agree with others in this blog that Wills & Kate enjoy all the perks of moneysnd royalty but do not wish to be royal…. they want to be “normal.” Queen Elixabeth T the age of almost 90 puts in more than 300 appearances a yr. and Kate does about 39 (ditto Wills). Don’t you think they would be embarrassed making this elderly woman do all this work while they go on vacation after
      vacation and spend all the expense of multiple mansions/palaces? They should be in London and not hiding out on a 20,000 acre estate far from the people they are supposed to represent. They will most likely be the ones to bring down the Brittish throne, not Charles. Gee, after all Wills repeatedly states about loving his dear ol mom, he gives her name third and last place for his daughter? I think that the Brittish public deserve to request DNA test for any royal heir and they should. Charlotte did not look like a new born and either did George. The dead nurse that saw something that she perhaps should not have seen is quite distressing to say the least. This couple do not seem royal or hard working.

      1. OMG

         1. Red Snapper: don’t feed the troll!!

            1. We’ve been getting quite a few lately. Almost seems organized in some way.

      2. Brilliant! You tell the truth and you are accused of being a troll. How sad and pathetic!

         Keep on telling the truth!

      3. I know this has been posted a week ago, but I want to point out that it is possible for two blue eyed people to have a brown eyed child

         1. It’s really rare for two people with blue and green eyes to end up with a child, who has dark brown eyes.

            Phil and Liz – both have blue eyes and had four children with blue eyes. Most of their grandchildren have blue eyes.

            There are no brown eyes in the Wales family, nor waitys.

            In the end, it really won’t matter, willy is going to let the monarchy crash and burn. Thus any fake heirs won’t be an issue.

            1. Your last sentence is inadvertently hilarious. A child is called an “issue”. Queen Elizabeth has four issue. Prince Harry is without issue. Because a fake heir is not a legal child of Prince William, a fake heir is not a legal issue.

               So the fake heir would not be an issue in terms of being the child of Prince William, and also not an issue in terms of not being a problem for the monarchy.

            2. I do love the formal language that monarchy uses. The Queen’s had many issues with her issue over the years. Ha. Ha.

2. Ahh William, nothing like stirring up a hornet’s nest. I don’t think he’d know what to do if he couldn’t issue an edict to the press. Thank goodness we’re not living in the times of his predecessors when he could have them dragged off to the Tower.

   You know Kate is going to be shopping at some point in Norfolk and someone is going to photograph her. I hope lots of people photograph her. I really feel for those kids.

   1. William just has no idea how to manipulate people into doing what he wants. He tries the bully method of manipulation instead of using a deft hand. If he wants the press to leave him alone, then feed them enough to whet their appetite and then get the rest of the time free. To quote Captain Jack Sparrow, “Fight to run away”. You have to give them what they want (at least a little) in order to get what you want.

   2. I feel sorry for these kids because William and Kate aren’t the ones to teach them how to be royal. Their too interested in being aristocratic normal and hiding out. They’re not going to prepare these kids for jobs in the public eye. Not to mention the laziness. William and Kate are definitely not the proper example for these kids in the industriousness department.

   3. Don’t feed the troll.

3. As I mentioned in the last post, I hope a photographer gets some pictures. He can try to threaten the professional photographers with the long lenses but he forgot about the civilians who have cell phones and won’t hesitate to take a picture if it means earning money. And if pictures are taken and he doesn’t make a fuss its because they were set up by him/Kate/Carole and published in a foreign mag. They had better stay in the house then!

   1. It’ll be interesting if/when someone gets photos of them to see if William complains. He didn’t make a peep with the last several photo sets of Kate and George. If he complains about any new photos then it is painfully obvious which photos are set up by Kate/Carole and which ones aren’t. It could be he was loosening up about his paranoia, but I doubt it. Especially since the birth of his coveted daughter.

4. Oh gosh! Leave it to Wills to kill a great moment and any goodwill toward him. I agree that the paparazzi can be very intrusive and everyone deserves some private time. However, what Will doesn’t understand is you cannot lead the life of a Royal with all its perks and not be photographed. If Will and Kate actually made more than a dozen public appearances than maybe the paparazzi wouldn’t need to hunt them down to photograph them. Unfortunately, the majority of the time they lead such private lives, the only way to photograph them is when they are doing something private, like shopping or vacationing. Because lets be honest, that is all they ever do. If they want some privacy, they have to give a little more in their public lives in order to earn it.

   I am so tired of Big Willy ordering people around. I think it is about time for his subjects to start ordering him around! The Royals only exist at the goodwill of the people. So, it is not unreasonable for the people to expect Will and Kate to actually do something instead of just hide behind closed doors eating up all their money. I really hope the photographers fight back, because it is high time William does not get his way!

   1. I have really changed my opinion of William. I used to think he was very nice, genuine and like his Mother Diana, with a humanitarian side to him.
      Not any more.. While I can understand him being bitter towards the press, because of what happened to his Mother, I think he is really getting things ‘overblown’ in his mind. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to let the press have some photos ocassionaly. I think he’s going about things the wrong way, and he needs to relax a bit towards the press and pictures being taken from time to time., then they would probably back of somewhat more. It’s a shame as he probably stresses out a lot because of this I think.

      1. Not to intentionally put the spotlight on you, but I dislike it when people blame William’s hatred of the media on his mother’s death.

         He has HATED the photographers/press, since he was a very small child! His disdain spiraled out of control after her death.

         Ex.
         “At Diana’s insistence, William became the first heir to the throne to attend public school. His personal bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, was with him on his first day.

         “Diana said to him in the car, ‘Now listen, William, there’s going to be a lot of photographers at your new school, so you need to behave yourself.’ And he, in this sort of just William way, said to his mother, just below the pink cap, ‘I don’t like ‘tographers,'” Wharfe said.

         “She said, ‘Well, you’re going to get this for the rest of your life,'” Wharfe said.

         Arthur Edwards, royal photographer, has been photographing William since he was born.

         “William hated the press,” Edwards said. “He didn’t like the whole idea of being photographed all the time. He just didn’t accept it.”

         http://abcnews.go.com/International/rebel-royal-mum-dianas-legacy-parent/story?id=19241646

         1. Wouldn’t you feel bitter towards the press if that was your Mother?
            Sorry, I just can understand the way he feels.
            Whatever Ken Wharfe said and Arthur Edwards, he may not of liked them from a young age, I still think he’s deeply upset about the loss of his Mother.
            Thats my opinion.

            1. Completely.
               The seeds of dislike for the media were there from the beginning. Was his mother’s death devastating, of course. Very sad, but it’s nearly 20 years already.
               William’s controlling approach in dealing with the media isn’t healthy.

            2. Sadly we will never know how William would feel about photographers today if his mom had live. I have a funny feeling though, that he still would have disdain for them. The paparazzi/media are an unpredictable tornado that can either make you a safe haven or destroy you. William doesn’t like not having control of something, especially his image. He can’t control the media, even though he tries, and I think it may frighten him.

            3. William should seek counseling over this grief he’s holding on to. It’s just not healthy for him or his family. At some point you have to move on with your life. You may never forget some things that are bad, but you have to forgive and let it go. Grieving is not a walk in the park, I’ve been there. Everyone grieves differently, but he’s either really stuck or he’s using it as an excuse to get his way.

            4. I completely agree that William needs counseling. Everyone grieves differently, but holding on to so much pain and anger for almost 20 years is unhealthy for himself and also for his children. I mentioned in another comment that William is putting all of his neuroses and insecurities onto his children. He has not dealt with his own problems and it will affect his children in negative ways.

            5. I would agree William needs counseling and therapy, but I question its effectiveness. William isn’t going to discuss his press hatred/control issues without trying to control the whole tone of his therapy, and is most likely not going to pick someone who can go toe-to-toe with him. Thus, any emotional breakthroughs would only happen if he allows it.

            6. Agree with you, J.D. I believe Willilam is very bitter about his Mother’s death at the hands of the paps. WHo can blame him?
               I am torn on this issue for I can understand a young family wanting privacy, but I also know the public is eager for photos of Kate and William and the children. A few photos now and then should be pleasing to all. However, I wonder when enough would be enough for the media. It’s a sad issue and I just think if Will and Kate want privacy, it’s time to become the average, normal people that they want to be and have William relinquish his succession rights. I’m not British, I don’t know the protocol for that. This is just sad and will continue to be an issue unless resolved in a way that is fair to all.

            7. @Lexistential:

               One of the problems for me in finding a therapist is that I have such trust issues that I cannot trust the therapist enough to tell them anything that’s wrong with me. I had a therapist once tell me I didn’t need to see her (it was the first time I had met with her and she wondered why I even came in at all) because I didn’t seem to have anything wrong with me and didn’t mention anything. Yet I was severely depressed. I just didn’t trust the person so didn’t say any of my problems.

               I feel like that’s a similar situation to what you are saying with how William might interact with a therapist.

            8. KMR, do you think you would trust me? I will offer you counseling as a form of barter. I read the blog that you provide, you get counseling that I provide. Want to give it a try?

            9. Hi KMR!

               I don’t mean to cast any similarities to you in criticizing William and his control issues. While you might be similar to him in lacking trust for a therapist, it’s also likely that you’d differ in how you’d choose to relate to your therapist and pursue therapy. You might have similar issues to him, but I’m willing to bet that your self-perception and how you care about getting help greatly differs.

               If William ever gets therapy, it won’t be because he thinks he needs help, or for the sake of helping his marriage find a more equal balance between both him and Kate. If he ever pursued therapy for the simplest reason of adapting better coping mechanisms (or making himself a better son, husband, or father), I’ll die of shock.

            10. @Dag:

                I don’t know how well that would go but I’d be willing to give it a shot.

                @Lex:

                No worries.

            11. KMR, how can I send you a private message?

            12. You can email me at katemiddletonreview@gmail.com

         2. I was about to ask what happened that even as a child he didn’t like photographers but maybe he just didn’t like the feeling of consent surveillance, I wouldn’t. Every move you make possibly being documented for the public to see, that would be a suffocating way to live.

            Whatever happened/however he felt perhaps that’s why he’s so pedantic about shielding George and Charlotte.

            Public engagements would be a controlled and safe environment to get them used to photographers though, and it would once in a while.

            1. I think it is less about protecting them and more about protecting himself and using them as an excuse. If no one is allowed to monitor their behavior and movements, it is much harder to prove he isn’t living with them. To date, the only candid shot are of her with the nanny, kids, and Carole. We haven’t had any sightings, rumors, or photos of William with his children.

   2. Spot on.

      1. The photographers were found to have no fault in Diana’s death. The driver was three times the legal limit…he was also drank a very large quantity of alcohol while on anti depressants. Diana is near and dear to my heart…she radiated beauty, class and empathy towards what some ingnorant and judgemental people would call ” undesirables .” On the other hand…i dont wish to blame a deceased person but, Dodi Fayed had cocaine in his system. Trevor Reese Jones has stated that Dodi was acting irratic the night of the fatal car crash…changing plans constantly and going against all protocol in regards to personal protection. In conclusion…drunk driver speeding, irratic paranoid man on cocaine and phtographers doing what they always did= disaster for Diana and all those involved. Some of the photographers that were arrested that night weren’t even chasing the car. They arrived on the scene long after the crash happened…not even realizing it was the Princess. They were arrested and caged like animals in a dark cell for days…this tactic was designed to drive them mad and break thier spirit…abomination of justice. Im not saying that the photographers that did chase the car have no fault in the matter, they certainly do, but it upsets me that some of the innocent paps were jailed like that and had thier lives ruined because of witch hunt.

         1. I probably should site some of my sources for my comment above. There is a very fascinating documentary titled “witness in the tunnel ” I believe it can be found on Netflix. They interview almost all of the paps that were arrested that night. It is troublesome to see what happened to some who weren’t anywhere near the car when it happened….it also explains some of Henri Pauls activities prior to the crash. I have read a few books by different author’s (i wanted different perspectives) that explain in great detail the unfortunate events leading up to the tragic and very final car crash. I believe William needs to put blame on all parties involved, not just the paparazzi. He has no qualms about using the press for his philanthropic endeavours but anything beyond that is considered harrasment. I so much prefer Harry to William…Harry seems like he has a pair. William wants all of the privilage that comes with royal life and none of the responsibility. I am so frustrated by his pretentious spoiled rotten attitude.

            1. Well said Jenndog!

            2. One could also blame Diana’s death on Diana’s lack of wearing a seat belt. The only person to survive the crash was the only one wearing a seat belt.

               If William is to put the blame of his mother’s death on all parties involved, he would also have to blame his mother for her part in her death.

            3. Yes, but Diana was chased down for years prior to the deadly accident. Who can forget her plea with the Paps to allow her children and her to have their own private time on the ski slopes — the time when she put her hand out in a way as if trying to block one of the camera’s lenses.

               Then, there were the chases through the streets of London when she was trying to go about with her daily business. I, for one, could not imagine how horrible it must be to have the media trailing you at every moment of every day.

               William’s nature seems to be far more sensitive than Harry’s. I am sure that as a very young child, he did feel the invasive nature of the media. He just did not like it or want it. Then, there was Harry. Who can forget the footage of him in the limo with his Mum when he was probably about 2 or 3. His little face plastered against the car’s window where he was making comic expressions to the photographers who were so eager to capture a photo of him.

5. Is it bad that I’m skeptical that this letter is prompted by invasive actions that photographers are actually taking and instead is just Will throwing his weight around and trying to intimidate others?

   1. No it’s not bad. I think it’s a bit of both. There have been long lens photographs taken of royals at Sandringham, and W&K have been photographed during their private time before on several occasions, so the “privacy and long lens camera” concerns are “valid”. But mostly this is William throwing his weight around in an attempt to intimidate the press.

6. http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20910362_20921539,00.html

   Kate put the bonnet on the wrong way. LOL. I doubt it was on purpose. It is funny they are praising her for being fashion forward, instead of just simply saying she made a mistake. Kate can do no wrong. Btw, is it odd that at this point Kate doesn’t know her way around baby clothes? Or maybe the bonnet didn’t fit the normal way since Charlotte was a bigger baby?

   1. That’s hilarious!

   2. Just a different style of bonnet, I assume.
      How thoughtful and sweet of Nanny Maria to purchase such a special gift for the baby.
      Very thoughtful, I think, that Kate put it on Charlotte (even if the wrong way) for her trip home.

   3. The bonnet probably looked the same, or very similar, from both front and back so it’s probably an honest mistake.

      1. Why assume Prince William’s wife dressed the baby? She was, afterall, having her hair done.

         1. LOL!

7. When the blonde asked Harry for a kiss and he said “yes, on the cheek”, and she zoomed in for the mouth…..that’s intrusive. I can understand Harry not wanting to swap germs with a stranger. And if a male fan had done that to a female royal (or “star” of any sort, or any woman, actually), the man would have been lambasted. Look, William’s got me riled!

   1. I agree. She was completely out of line. That was not sweet, cute, or entertaining. Poor Harry.

   2. I agree! I think it was totally inappropriate and really gross. I think Harry handled it very well. What a trooper!

   3. That girl could have cold sores or oral herpes or something. Yuck. Keep it on the cheek sweetheart.

   4. Poor Harry. Seriously grossed out by that chick.

   5. He seriously handed that moment incredibly – he literally had to dodge that kiss, she waited till she was near his cheek then dove right in for his lips! What fast reflexes he has…

      I love the brunette in one of the shots throwing her shade, lol…

      1. I am an Aussie and I cringed at that. I thought that Harry handled it very well He has been a delight to see out and about in Australia. I think that some of the people were a bit over the top!

         1. Lol, the sequence dress 🙂

            It seems everyone enjoyed having him Down Under.

            I’m glad he came out.

            1. Harry is here in New Zealand now. He looks to be enjoying the trip already 🙂

   6. I think it’s absolutely disgusting. Firstly, a random person’s mouth on your’s is nasty – you don’t know where that person’s mouth has been or what kind of diseases they have (oral herpes, or just plain old the flu). Secondly, he did not give her permission to kiss him on the mouth and she did it anyway – that’s a violation. As you said, had it been a male fan and a female royal/celeb, bodyguards would have swooped in and police called.

8. Love those Harry photos! Love them!
   Yes, Dag Tagart, the blonde was very intrusive. Funny, too, “William’s got me riled.”

   As for privacy for W&K and the children. I cannot blame them for not wanting their kids photographed. However, KMR, you are right. There is a far better way of dealing with photographers and other media reps. It’s sad. They want the perks of royalty, but not the other things that come along with their positions.

9. I hope the press leaves the children alone. The children didn’t decide to be royal. They are not the property of the British public. They should be free from having to be photographed. However, William has unrealistic expectations. The only point I think he is correct on is regarding the long range lenses. Using long range lenses to photograph private property from public spaces is invasive. I can see using normal cameras without the zoom or with a normal zoom from public places and then publishing the pictures, but that’s it. Basically I can see their point. But you are right, they take it too far. They want no photos taken, even legally obtained, non-invasive photos. That is the definition of entitled and arrogant. How can people like or respect him when he thinks he is above everyone else? Ugh.

   1. Jennifer I see what you are saying, but in that case, William didn’t choose to be Royal either. Only Kate did. So with that thinking, than William, Harry and anyone born into Royalty should never be photographed as they did not choose Royalty. Only people who married into it chose royalty. That is a slippery slope when you put it that way. I think rather the children should be left alone because they are children and need time to grow and get accustomed to the press. They should be left alone because they are children, not because they are royalty.

      1. William needs to step aside if he values his privacy and wants to spend most of his time out of the public eye.

         Harry is more animated and engaged with the public anyway. Kate and William look politely bored, annoyed with one another or like they’re trying waaay to hard to look interested anyway.

         I say let them retire to Anmer permanently but William is too addicted to the power to let it go. I love the videos where he slams Harry in public like a frenemie. You get to see the private side of William that isn’t so beautiful in them.

         With Kate there once was a Youtube video showing Kate looking very downtrodden as the press swirled around her and then she was beaming wildly at the attention once she was in her car. You see the image they try to project and then you see the real girl who likes the attention.

         1. Agreed – he is an adult with money and has a choice whether or not to be royal now. If he wants a private life he should choose a private life, not a royal life.

         2. I seriously think he will consider abdication once the Queen passes. I doubt he would ever stab her with that now. He probably doesn’t want to give her that disappointment, but once she is gone, he has no sense of duty, no love for the institution of the monarchy, no regard for his subjects, etc. Etc

         3. They would not be allowed to stay at Anmer if William removed himself (and his kids) from the line of succession. He would have to take his millions he inherited from Diana and buy himself a fancy mansion somewhere else.

            I totally agree he should step aside, take his kids with him, and let Harry be the heir. I know Harry says he would never want it, but I feel at least he would step up if he had to. William just refuses to do anything.

            1. Didn’t Diana say once that Harry said he’d take the job if William didn’t want it? I think he’d step up too and he’s just saying he doesn’t want it because it’s what the dutiful brother does.

               As for a new fancy mansion to live in, I believe it’s called Bucklebury.

            2. Yes, Bucklebury. Then W&K can live with Carole full time. They even have their own suite at that house (which they built so they could stay there with George when he was first born).

               I, personally, don’t remember ever reading that Diana said that but I have not read everything about her. I, too, think he is trying to be supportive, but I do think he would step up if necessary.

      2. You’ve made a really good point Overit! Kate did make the choice to join the royal family. To my thinking that means she should be stepping up. A good example of someone who stepped up when joining the royal family was The Queen Mother.

         1. You know I’d swear the Queen Mother probably worked more than Kate did when she was in her 90s.

      3. William has not given up his titles and privileges to lead a normal life. Therefore he is choosing to be royal.

         1. Very true.

   2. I think the long range lens complaint is very valid for the Cambridges, as they’ve been burned more than once by it. Tabloids and pap from many different countries are hanging from the trees waiting for the big $ shot. As if that will change. It’s too bad, but I guess when they’re outside on their private property, they have to “dance like EVERYONE is watching”. No more topless sunbathing, Duchess, not having tan lines just isn’t worth it! Heck, I could run around my farm naked without worrying about anyone taking pictures, but I wouldn’t do it anyway. There’s some things a body can live without doing, especially if you’re living in a fishbowl (can’t always have your cake and eat it too!). Their relationship with the British press -and really, why would they care about any other-would be so much better, if they could just bend a little in the wind.

      The Estelle pictures are always adorable, they are raising her to be comfortable with photographers and the public, because it will always be a natural part of her life. They should give George and Charlotte that opportunity, as well. I have a feeling Kate would be more open to that than William, but who really knows

10. These 2 -.- oh my, first I’m glad she had a safe delivery because every woman deserves that …..but come on …were a normal family living on a house in a private estate…we understand that you guys are interested in us but stay away from us…oh but keep the tax payers money coming we love that ….meanwhile the swedish royal court publishes photos left right and centre of Princesses estelle and leonore…just today they put up new photos of estelle …the diff between this family and the other European Royals is unbelievable …they’re growing their kids up to hate their future roles…cos being a royal also involves having to 1. Meet the people they’re obliged to serve and 2. Getting the media on their side cos it’s a very powerful weapon

    Oh and thanks KMR for your dedication to this blog, you always and continuously write new posts and most importantly say it as it is! especially during hectic times as these in Royal news, as well as your private commitments

    1. Thank you AJ!

       I agree with you that William and Kate are setting a bad example for their children. Hiding them away will only make them grow up fearing the press the same way William does. If he continues to act this way, he will put all of his own neuroses and insecurities onto his children.

11. As far as Willie concerned, he needs to give up the goods. Set up photo calls with the kids and they will leave him alone. Simple as that. They have put a bounty their heads. I’m so over him. Vic just released new Estelle pictures and I just smiled. They continue to do it right.

    Harry. Omg. GrandMa got a kiss. I have never been so jealous of the elderly in my life. And that girl who got that extra sugar?! I’m hating her because I wish it were me, lol. She’s a smart woman and I woulda done the same thing.

    As a lead up to the weddings, can you do an engagement ring article? I understand if you can’t.

    1. Oh, I like the idea of an engagement ring article!!

    2. Yes. You guys asked for an engagement ring article a while back which is where I got the idea for some royal wedding feature articles in the lead up to the Swedish wedding. So that’s definitely on the agenda.

12. I am so looking forward to this weekends royal roundup, it’ll be great to see other royals who are happy with their lives and are using their fantastic platforms for the good of others.

    I hate to say it but this little bit about “harassment and breaches of privacy” from W&K has made me so tired of them and the constant whining and complaining. While I agree that G&C should be able to run around and be children without someone poking a camera in their faces, the constant reminders and veiled threats are wearing thin fast. I was just looking at pictures posted by the Swedish Royal Court of Princess Estelle riding her bicycle and having fun. The stark difference between the way the Swedish Crown Princess couple handle exposure of their daughter and the way the Cambridge’s handle it really brings into focus that W&K are acting like a pair of whiny, petulant children instead of a mature, reasonable couple.

    1. Actually, the Swedish Royal Family post pictures themselves, a few times a year, on their website. They do not in any way accept photographers sneaking around poking cameras at their kids, and the photographers have the decency enough to respect that. The British Royal Court have a flickr account for a similar purpose. The fact that they don’t post pictures of their children when in private does not really mean they are “whiny”, it means they want their kids to have a safe and more shielded childhood, something I think most of us would want. Maybe especially seen through the eyes of William, growing up with the press making a fuck out of his life and even being part of the reason behind his mother’s death, I find his aversion to the crazy paparazzis perfectly understandable.

       1. I don’t think Lauri was suggesting that the Swedes allow paps taking unauthorized photos of the kids. What Lauri was saying is that the Swedes release a good number of photos every year, and take Estelle to engagements so people can see her, and that works to give the press and public enough access to Estelle so that she can be pap free the rest of the time.

          1. Thank you KMR, that was exactly what I meant, V&D release great photos frequently.

       2. W&K, to me, are “whiny” when they refuse to find a mature, reasonable way to work with the media and instead issue constant reminders of privacy and veiled threats of lawsuits.

       3. The Dansih RF does the same – they post pictures of their children on their website – often taken by themselves. Fx most of the pics of Prince Christian, Princesss Isabella, Princess Josephine and Prince Victor are taken by their mother CP Mary. That means that the pics are taken in a controlled environment and has the added quality that they’re taken by a trusted person who can get reactions from the children that a stranger would find it hard to get.

          It also keeps the press away from the daily lives of the children. Fx Prince Christian doesn’t go to a private school but to an ordinary public school (though in a well-heeled neighbourhodd) and we never get any pics of him at school! However, it also needs to be said that the DRF has a much better relationship with the press than the BRF. Mainly because the press is much less intrusive but also because the DRF, and especially the Queen, show that they also respect the press. Queen Daisy often does LIVE press conferences with no restrictions on what questions can be asked – the sounds incomprehensible to many (especially foreign press) but it works because there’s a genuine level of respect from both sides.

    2. Victoria and Daniel, and Maddie and Chris, handle the press exposure of their children well, I think. They give enough to whet people’s appetite, and (in Vic and Dan’s case especially) get the children used to being in the public eye and being around crowds. And the press don’t pry into their private time.

       1. I’ve noticed that most of the European royal families arrange photo calls at the start of their vacations or like V&D recently post some vacation photos online, the pictures of them in Norway are great! The BRF seems to have a very different way of dealing with the press, not just William, but the whole family.

          1. Charles and Diana used to do the same thing re scheduling photo ops. I remember one where Charles took the boys on a skiing vacation and there was a photo op there.

          2. Well, in many ways the BRF seems stuck in an odd timepocket where it is still the 1950s.

             1. Well that makes sense. The Queen ascended to the throne in the early-1950s. And Charles claimed in the Dimbleby biography to not understand his generation’s “drugs, sex, rock n’ roll” attitudes.

             2. Didn’t Charles bang a lot of ladies in his day? He may not have gotten the drugs and rock n roll part, but he seems to have gotten the sex part well enough.

             3. Yes KMR, he did have several girlfriends. His first was an older aristocratic woman who I think his mates arranged to teach him the physical side of love when he was 19.

13. I think William needs counseling. His need to control and hatred of the press isn’t “normal.” I believe that PW/Kate live together. I also believe that they love each other dearly, IMO. I don’t believe for a second that the blond who kissed Harry is 21????

    1. lol, maybe she’s a rough 21? Like she parties a lot so she looks older than she is?

       1. Too much time sunbathing each summer?

          1. With no sunscreen.

14. I just don’t know what to say about the harrasment memo. Of course they are entitled to privacy, but was handing it out to the community really necessary. It sounds like they are dictating rather then asking. Why couldn’t they just put a statement out there and leave it at that….what use is it to hand out a memo? Ridiculous

15. Harry handled the situation with class. Who does that? She was completely out of line.

16. Came across an old article that I think gives a bit of insight into his privacy issues

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2140596/Prince-William-met-Rottweiler-Camilla-Parker-Bowles-came-saying-I-need-drink.html

    People can overcome traumatic experiences and childhoods so I’m not excusing his behaviour, just reflecting here and honestly, I think I would hate the media if my parents divorce and (very) intimate details, acquired through phone taps, were constantly in the press, like every day. The War of the Wales was brutal, as much as the media played a part and were played too. Imagine going to school everyday having to deal with it. No doubt there’d be some scars. And then having to parent your brother because your parents had their own issues going on and there not being a stable presence in your life, when one any got too close to you your mom would have her fired.

    I’m not throwing shade at Princess Di at all with that comment. Or even Charles, life can be complicated and I think we know a lot more about how kids can be affected by divorce, grief, trauma better today then two decades ago.

    It would also suck seeing how easily public opinion be shaped so fiercely and negatively by intrusive/untrue stories against the people you love, parents, grandparents, brother. Old photos of Harry leaving clubs washed would be rehashed in false/exaggerated articles to paint the “Party-Prince waste-of-space” narrative the media had for a while.

    I’m not at all defending the way he deals with the media, the royal privilege without duties nonsense we’re seeing and the games/PR stunts they pull to cover up the lack of work, I just think some of these issues run deep and that there are reasons why we are seeing him behave like this – which is not an excuse, just a bit of perspective.

    1. Talking about PR rubbish!!

       http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3072901/EPHRAIM-HARDCASTLE-Royal-baby-William-perfect-excuse-skip-TV-Awards-ceremony.html

       “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge want to be seen as ‘normal’ as possible, I am advised. ‘They don’t want to be too publicly associated with celebrity, the rich or the weird,’ says my source.

       ‘Kate avoids as much of the glitzy red-carpet stuff as she can.

       ‘She received the Diamond Jubilee medal in 2012, which was given to all members of the Royal Family, but it’s never been out of its box.

       The transition to a discreet, continental-style monarchy after Charles looks like it will be swift.’”

       It’s never been out of the box – what the heck! This says more about her ignorance and irreverence towards the institution that butters her bread and the Queen’s years of service and devotion than anything else.

       They really are gonna burn the whole house down.

       1. I can understand wanting to avoid red carpet and celebrity stuff; after all she is a duchess, not a wife of a rockstar. It’s better for her image to be seen supporting charities rather than going to glamorous celebrity shindigs. I do wonder why William accepted the position if they hate it so much.

       2. You should read the comments section. People are seriously fed up with him. And the not courting celebrities thing is a laugh. How many times have we seen them at the events where they do meet celebrities and it’s quite possibly the only time Kate and William truly interact with interest in someone? I think it’s the opposite, celebrities aren’t interested in hanging out at the Court of Middleton so they put this load of rubbish out there.

          As for the medal, Kate is ignorant beyond belief. The real reason it probably hasn’t left the box is because she’s worried her hair will get tangled up in it.

       3. Kate’s Diamond Jubilee medal has never been out of it’s box because Kate has never had any opportunity to wear it. She has never attended any event where wearing medals and honors is a necessity.

          1. They don’t hate the high life. His friends don’t accept Kate, make fun of her and her scheming family, and now make slights against Will. Instead of acknowledging their point (it’s mean, but there is a point of truth), Will is angrily withdrawing himself. He probably is irritated by the comments about Kate, but furious that they question/tease him. He is never around his friends, his brother, or extended family anymore. It is PC, QE or Midds. And he looks it, always on the edge of angry, when he should be angry with himself for marrying her.

             1. Will’s issues are, I imagine, very complex. When it comes to people, nothing is ever black and white, or simple. However, Sugar, I think you’ve made a really great point. Will is miserable in his marriage and thinks he made a mistake. They both love the “high life”, but they aren’t getting too many opportunities to really live like that because of the reasons you mentioned. Remember before they got married they were always going to parties and weddings and clubs. Now, where do they go? With whom do they socialize? As you said, it’s pretty much just the Midds. No wonder he’s pissed.

             2. Sugar and Dag is a possible that PW is just beginning to mature a little. I mean this may be a stretch, but sometimes you have to move away from some people in order to grow. I just hope that he is moving toward HM/PC and not the Middleton’s. I am really hopeful that we continue to see the growth we saw in Kate the last few months of her pregnancy, maybe we will start seeing growth will PW as well.

             3. It is also unfortunate, due to the past history with the royal family, that there is probably a lot of pressure on Will to make this marriage work. If he is unhappy with his marriage, for now he is stuck.

             4. Crazy, I hope you are right, but I don’t think so. William is stuck in immaturity and his arrogance (which is really the result of fear) won’t allow him to consider counseling or trying to make a change. I think he’ll remain a spoiled, petulant little boy in a man’s body.

                Bookworm, I agree. He’s really “stuck” in his marriage. Maybe that will change when the Queen and Prince Philip are no longer living. But he could never even suggest a divorce now.
                It’s possible that he is so unhappy that he has confided in his grandmother and she may have told him he doesn’t have to live with Kate, but that he can’t officially separate.

          2. CrazyAMG, from your lips to William’s ears. Maybe he is finally making some changes and doesn’t want outside intrusion while he does.

       4. So, Will is the president of the BAFTAs, yet doesn’t seem to be involved with any of the events? I understand not going to every single event, but it seems like he avoids all their events? And if he doesn’t want to be associated with celebrities, isn’t that a poor organization to be patron of?

          Wasn’t Princess Anne the previous BAFTA president? Does anyone know how involved she was with the organization?

    2. OK…..let’s flip this around. Camilla’s children. They had no royal protection. No one (as far as we know) was looking out for them. At one time Camilla didn’t leave the house for months because she was afraid of the public. she was vilified by the press and the public. How do you think her children felt or coped? Not to mention the widely repeated joke about how their father was the man who lay down his wife for country?

       And it didn’t stop there. Unlike WH, Camilla’s kids were not the beneficiaries of a press ban on their lives. They were reported on whilst as teens and at University. When they went out, they were splashed everywhere in print media. One was the subject of a newspaper sting because he was an occasional drug user.

       Her kids haven’t grown up bitter and paranoid and strange. Actually, neither has Harry, but that’s another conversation. Only William.

       The PB kids didn’t ran away from their families. By all accounts they are normal and do normal things and don’t have strange relationship with the media because you know every single journalist who crosses their path wants to know about Charles and Camilla.

       1. One of them even writes a food column for a paper. (Take that Pippa!) Yeah, it’s all the medias fault – everything that is wrong with William’s world is because of the media.

          1. Camilla’s son, Tom, is a professional chef.

       2. Very well said, Herazeus!

          1. One problem with that argument…… Diana died and PW blames the press for her death!

       3. Herazeus, I don’t understand your point. Why would Camilla’s children have press protection? They were adults by the time their mother married Charles and they are not royals.

          1. Hi Dag, I think that was the point. That they had to deal with all of the press intrusiveness given who their mother is, they had no protection from it yet they managed without the complaining. At least publicly 🙂

             At least I hope that’s what you said, Herazeus!

             1. Thanks, bluhare, that makes sense.

             2. Thank you Bluhare. That’s what I meant.

                Camilla was outed publicly by Diana, who also publicly gave out her nickname for Camilla, the rottweiler, in 1992 at which point all hell broke loose for entire PB family.

                Before that the two marriages had disintegrated for at least a 8yrs if we believe Charles’s assertion that he went back to Camilla in 1986.

                Camilla wed Charles when her kids were young adults, but they suffered through all the crap that went before as children, teens through to adulthood, whilst on the wrong side of the public.

                So when people cry ‘childhood difficulties due to media/parents’ disintegrating marriage’ as William’s excuse, I ask what about Camilla’s kids who also suffered the same without the protection of being royal.

             3. I agree. I’ve always felt sympathy to them too. Imagine how it must have felt to have your mother vilified like that. They had no protection or PA that could make life easier for them. How Cam and kids made it out on the other side is amazing in itself.

17. Thanks KMR for this blog and the work you put into it.

    1. Thank you Gie!

18. Wow. So I randomly searched for blogs online and I find this bag of shit? Amazing.
    Seriously, do none of you have better things to do than spend your life finding errors and mistakes in other people’s lives? I’m pretty sure that if you were a couple with a young child and a newborn, you’d be pretty happy not to have a camera up in their face every second of their life. In most countries, that’s very much respected, and there are rarely photographers seen creeping around the private estates of royalty. Mostly because the majority of the public doesn’t want to see that.

    William did not choose to be royal, he was born into it. And whether or not you think that’s fair, it’s what he has to do. Protecting his kids shows he’s a good father, nothing else.
    You people are genuinely pathetic. And I’m not even talking about the one writing the blog, I’m mainly talking about some of the hateful people who comment.

    1. Thank you for your thoughts Amalia, now you can go away and never deal with this “bag of shit” again.

    2. Read the comments entirely Amalia before you spew. There are concise, fact-based points that refute everything you said. You’ve been insulated so long in Princess Kate world, where everything is sweet and scripted with a shiny bow that the real world’s a little harsh for you.

    3. Hi Amalia.
       You are entitled to offer your opinion and we are entitled to ours.
       KMR puts a huge amount of work into these blogs and deserves respect for that.
       If you don’t like what is discussed on this blog then – don’t read it!
       I agree with what Lisa said… Thank you for your thoughts Amalia, now you can go away and never deal with this “bag of shit” again.

    4. You are fully entitled to your opinion, Amalia, but please no personal attacks on other commenters.

       1. Congratulations KMR, your blog is popular now it’s attracting trolls! I’m sure that not a distinction you are thrilled with but there it is. I wonder if “Konrad” and “Amalia” are real just some lonely, old guy sitting on his soiled couch, eating something gawd awful, scratching his overgrown, hairy belly and belching through his brown teeth, getting off on winding people up?

          1. Yes this is a great blog. KMR does such fine research and offers great things for us to comment on. I respect the people who post here — even, if I don’t agree with them all. However nasty comments are not appreciated, nor should they be allowed to continue. In my humble opinion.

          2. We’ve gotten several of these kinds of comments lately. It’s weird.

             1. Eh, they’re just some agitators trolling different sites and trying to stir up the pot.

    5. This is a great blog, as evidenced by all of the support towards KMR. We all have differing opinions and we rarely attack each other. We value and respect other opinions. I do take issue with calling this blog a “bag of shit”. This is disrespectful to KMR as she put a lot of time and effort into this. I will say that you should have thoroughly read the title as it says it is a “critical” blog about Kate. We are balanced and there are times where we do support and applaud her. It’s one thing to go after the folks who respond, but to say that about the owner of the blog was a little too much.

       1. Ah, thank you rhiannon.

    6. Oh geez, the trolls are out in force today.

       1. I agree, Lauri. I wanted to ignore it and not feed the trolls, but this was a new low.

    7. William didn’t choose to grow up royal but he’s certainly not refusing titles or royal engagements. Furthermore, as a public figure he is subject to public opinion, positive or negative.

       1. Well he’s not refusing all royal engagements..

       2. The problem is that they don’t really want to be normal. They want to be “normal” (as in live like the 1%ers), which is actually normal to them, but to the rest of us plebs, it’s fantastical. To not have to worry about bills or a job or living within your means. They NEVER said they wanted that. And they like being royal, obviously, they have royal residences, and titles, and have passed that on to their children.

          Basically, when they say normal…it’s not any kind of normal we know. So chew on this, is it a little bit our fault for putting our connotation on the word, when that’s obviously never what they meant at all? Their normal and our normal just aren’t breathing the same air, people!

          1. Very true, but I don’t think it’s our fault. They know the trade-offs of privacy vs priviledge and they have made their decision. The want the priviledge but the problem is they don’t want to play their roles as royals in return for that priviledge. They can be as “normal” or abnormal as they want to be, the problem is they aren’t fulfilling their end of the deal so to speak. Or at least that’s what I think.

          2. Yes, they want to be aristocratic, not royal. All the perks, none of the responsibility.

             Though I do put some blame on them for not clarifying what exactly they want. They are perfectly fine playing the “we’re just like you” game. They have cultivated the “we’re just like you” thing for a long time. So then when they say they want to be “normal”, it implies they want to be normal, middle-class people since they’ve been pushing the “we’re just like you” card for so long.

    8. KMR, can you delete comments like this? Obviously this person is just trolling and trying to piss people off. I love how she said we had no life and yet she is the one who is searching for blogs. I agree with Lauri, probably an old lonely man on a couch who actually believes he is friends with Will and Kate and therefore must protect them :). Ah trolls are fun to laugh at.

    9. If you don’t like this blog: THEN DON’T READ IT. Let us do our thing and you do yours. If you simply want to be insulting, don’t waste our time. Thanks and have a pleasant evening! 🙂

19. Amalia, we all agree with you on the quality of this blog written by KMR, which is why we choose to post our comments here. Obviously these comments have had an affect on you because you decided to do the same. We hope you stick around but please be respectful!!! In return we promise to give you our honest thoughts and opinions on a variety of subjects and will be open to hear yours if you decide to stick around. Some call you a troll, I really don’t know what that means but I hope you stick around!!

20. Well, here’s more for Amalia to be upset about – William shirking as usual. Are we not suppose to talk about him either?

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3072901/EPHRAIM-HARDCASTLE-Royal-baby-William-perfect-excuse-skip-TV-Awards-ceremony.html

21. Two things. 1. William is paranoid and unstable b/c he is his mother’s son.
    2. Sandringham is private property of the Queen. There can’t be too many public roads through there b/c it is a private estate (emphasis on the word PRIVATE). If the paps take photos while at Sandringham Estate, they should be arrested by the RPOs and charged with trespassing.
    3. If Kate doesn’t want photos of her private parts taken she should PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!
    Sorry I’ve been distracted by the UK election. Good news for the royals, unless H.M. wants to go to Balmoral.

    1. There are many, many public paths crisis crossing the estate. There are no go areas, obviously, but visible from the public ones. There have always been lots of pics of the royal family doing stuff around the estate.

       I agree with others. William is more concerned about his own privacy. He doesn’t like people tracking his movements and his life.

22. Everyone handled Amalia very well, especially CrazyAMG. Thank you. I could not have done better job! I agree that anyone isolating themselves is not good for their mental health, also i am not doctor or nurse! Halia

    1. Thanks Halia!!!

23. Oh boy, has anyone read the DM article just released about Michael Middleton saying he thinks Carole Middleton is at Amner Hall way too much?

    1. do you have the link? I couldn’t find it.

    2. Hi Geri, I just say it and wow, it’s rather sad that Kate and William can’t even run their own home without Carole’s interference. Poor Michael, sitting on the sidelines of his own family because his wife is so desperate to be indispensable to her daughter and son-in-law. This really makes me feel rather badly for W&K, I mean how do you tell your mother to go home? Leave us alone? When this now seems to be the center of her universe. Here is the link.

       http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3074307/Carole-Middleton-living-Anmer-Hall-month.html

    3. As a matter of fact, I just did. Holy moly; that was some dirt raked up in that one. I wonder who’s talking? Whoever it is knows a lot of detail if it’s all true. And seriously explains the Faces of Thunder last weekend!

       1. That article makes me want to vomit. It sounds like that woman is running a cult, not a royal household.

       2. Oh I’m sorry bluhare, that’s tough to do. I hope it didn’t ruin you relationship with her. Yeah, it also explains why they are finding it tough to keep staff at AH. When my son and his wife had their children I went and stayed with them for a week or so to help, but I made sure not to interfere with how they did things and certainly didn’t try to run their household. There were certainly times when I wanted to say something, my daughter-in-law isn’t a very good housekeeper :), but I just went for a walk instead.

          1. Oh my!!! Just no words!!! Getting very interesting so say the least…PC will not stand for this, mark my word. Carole will be thrown out of Anmer on her “Party Pieces”

             1. “Carol will be thrown out of Anmer on her “Party Pieces””! Lol. I visited the PP site for the first time yesterday. It seems okay, but nothing mindblowing.

                Carol needs to remember that Charles holds most, if not all, the purse strings. Or he will soon. It seems that Charles has made his claim on Charlotte. He’s made lots of comments and visited twice. I don’t think that he is willing to lose his granddaugter to the Middletons. And they can’t fight him. They can have small battles with him, but he can win this war. The press is turning on Ma Midds and if Charles were a smart man, he would use it in his favor.

       3. Sure sounds like this info is coming from the inside. There’s something sickening and perverse about the way Carole has inserted herself into W and K’s marriage. I’m not sure what’s worse…Carole as a tick third wheel or the fact that William and Kate allow it. She’s enabled those two to the point where they’ll never be able to stand on their own two feet. A healthy mother does not make herself indispensable to the marriage of her 33 year old daughter. This does not bode well for the future of William and Kate’s marriage.
          I think the writing was on the wall when the Middletons arrived separately to visit Charlotte. The fact that this dirt is now out there is going to take on a very ugly toll on their marriage. That woman will stop at nothing, not even the destruction of her own marriage in order to continue her control over William and Kate. She can hide under the guise of wanting to help out but you’d have to be blind not to see what she’s up to. Yuck.

          1. Geri I thought it was interesting as well that Carol and Mike did not go to visit the baby together. Instead Carol went with Pippa. While that may not mean anything, it just makes me think that Carol spends a lot of time away from Mike. He obviously bends to her will. I wish he had more of a back bone to stand up to her. I cannot imagine my mom, even though we are close, butting into my marriage. I wouldn’t stand for it and nor would my husband. I love spending time with my mom, but my gosh! My husband and I want and need a ton of alone time 🙂

             1. Yes Overit, I think we all knew what was happening when Carole arrived with Pippa and not Michael to visit Kate and William. Expressions tell all. Carole is an unstoppable force as long as William continues to back her. Though one has to wonder if he’ll eventually treat the situation differently knowing of Michael’s open disapproval of Carole’s role. Without Michael’s calming presence William may finally see things differently. Now if only Kate would step up to the plate and take on her home responsibilities. She has an army to help her for goodness sake.

          2. Rhiannon, you peaked my interested. I just checked out the PP site. I am not from the UK so I don’t understand the big deal. I can purchase nearly everything on that website at my local grocery store or at 4 other places within a 15 min radius of my home!!

             1. I’m in the US and can get that stuff at Dollar General and, if I have extra $$, Party City. Most of that stuff is cheaply made Her picture made me giggle. I want to tell her that dress is doing her no favors.

             2. Yeah, there are several places that sell that kind of stuff. Party Pieces is nothing special. They don’t even have anything that I couldn’t find at a normal party supply store, the dollar store, or walmart.

             3. I think the entire premise in PP is that you’d just choose the theme and they send everything to you so you don’t have to manually buy everything yourself.

    4. Oh wow! I just finished reading it. I have several thoughts:
       1. This article sure makes Kate sound incapable of doing anything. Her mom pretty much does everything, and leaves one left to ask ‘what does Kate do then?’

       2.Why now are these articles coming out? The DM always has written articles that praise the Cambridges. While this one seems on the surface to only put down Carol, it actually also shows how little Kate can handle. It puts her and Will down as well since they cannot seem to function without her. So, why now are they finally getting bad press?

       3. With all the staff, Carol is there to insure that Will and Kate ‘lead as normal lives as possible’. So basically, Will and Kate can go on living as if they do not have children. This makes it sound like all the staff and Carol are there to take care of the babies, so that Kate and Will do not (God forbid) have to change their lifestyles due to these new lychees. They can carry on how they want without changing a thing.

       I am glad to see an article that does not seem to be praising the Cambridges or the Middletons. I think it is so wrong that Kate cannot function without her mom. She is 33. It is time to grow up! This article has a lot of detail, but again we do not know how much of this is true. Although a lot of evidence points to it being true. I would hate to work in their household. I am sure Carol acts like a Queen. Sadly, in their house, she is 🙁

       1. I agree woth you Overit. I read the same thing. Will and Kate want to live a pampered life without the spontaneous interruptions of children. And that is sad.

       2. So let’s say Carole is still around when/if William takes the throne. Does she become the “Queen Mother” so to say and start running the palaces just to keep Kate stress free and calm and William in his favorite foods and snacks?

          Some people feel she is doing this out of the goodness of her heart for her daughter and son-in-law. I think there’s other motives and she’s not letting go until someone grows a pair and tells her to step off.

          1. I doubt she would still be alive, but if she did people would flip the f- out if she started living in and running the palaces. But William will still want his #CheeseOnToast so he’ll probably have her there anyway – at least until the Men in Grey kick both Carole and William out of the palace.

       3. Bet they’re wishing they’d spoken to the press at Lindo when they presented Charlotte. I wonder if this article would have had the same…tone?

    5. That is quite some article! Oh, to be a fly on the wall of that household!!

24. Newbie here. I’ve been reading this blog for the past couple of months or so, on and off. I have to say that it is a more balanced take on the W&K work ethic and better than a lot that’s out there. I have to say upfront that I don’t believe the ‘evidence’ that William and Kate live apart or that William is in love with Jecca etc. I think that W&K are supremely in love with one another and genuinely like each other’s company. That being said, there are definitely issues in the relationship. W’s stroppiness and Kate’s incompetence.

    I am quite disappointed to read these comments disparaging Carole rather harshly for coming to aid of her daugher. From what I can understand, the article clearly states “Kate can only relax when Carole is around to take over”. This is NOT the first time that DM has made this statement – they have said it twice before. I think that Kate is simply not capable of managing a house full of staff and goes to her Mummy for help. Carole is vested in keeping W&K happy together so she jumps in. I think that Kate is too emotionally fragile and probably takes out her emotions on William too. They probably fight a lot because of this. When Carol is around she is calmer and more in control of her emotions. And hence W wants Carol around as well. Yes, it is dysfunctional. But Carol is not the first one to blame here.

    If anyone is to be admonished here it is Kate herself. Not Carole. Carol is doing what most mothers might do, which is try to keep her daughter’s marriage intact. How can you all not see that ? If you were a mother would you sit around watching your daughter’s marriage fall apart like this ? Or would you answer her cry for help. I can’t blame Carole too much.

    1. Welcome Newbie. Here’s the thing – Carole cannot keep being there to keep the marriage of William and Kate together. They are adults, they need to sort this out themselves. What happens when Carole passes? It will probably be many, many years down the road, but what will Kate do then?

       I think Carole has done a great injustice to Kate by not raising her to stand on her own two feet, by not teaching her how to take care of herself and her home and by not encouraging her to have a backbone. Running home to mummy or having mummy come sort out your marital problems is not the answer. There are thousands, maybe millions of relationships throughout the world that have probably been ruined by just that premise.

       At some point, Kate has to grow up and be an adult.

       1. I don’t disagree that she is doing them a great disservice. I think that letting Kate essentially be Wiliam’s beck and call girl through her twenties set her up for failure. She has not learned the basic skills of managemen that one learns during that wonderful time.
          That being said, Carole deserves the least blame here. DM has it in for her, for whatever reason – snobbery, I suspect (they cannot stand the fact that someone with such modest beginnings has reached the pinacle of society in some ways). The article is slanted to put her down while protecting William.
          Kate is a 33 year old woman. What exactly *can* she do apart from sliding down a slide with her toddler and look gorgeous 24 hours a day ?
          That picture of the two of them with George and the RPO – where Carole seems to be lecturing the man and he is looking elsewhere while Kate seems to be wondering what’s going on – that picture sort of made me think that Carole is her “front”, the middle manager so to speak. And although she is wrong, completely wrong to do this, the first order of blame lies with Kate. She is an overgrown teenager. Pampered one at that.

          1. Hmm, Carole in the house, captured bossing around the RPO on camera, bossing around the staff (including the well trained nanny)
             Is she planning to stay long term?
             Different contributors have suggested that William may need therapy, I suggest that it is either Kate who needs therapy as she needs her Mum so much or is it Carole who first pimped her daughter out and now will not let go, who needs therapy.

             1. Really, they could all use therapy. And Kate could use a few classes in Home Ec.

             2. I think William needs therapy for all the reasons already stated. But both Kate and Carole need therapy as well.

          2. Hi Newbie, you make some very good points in the interest of Carole, but my only question is, who raised Kate to be a pampered, overgrown teenager, who coddled her so much that she unable to deal with anything remotely unpleasant or difficult? Carole did. While it would be nice if Kate grew a bit of a backbone and took over the running of her own life, I think Carole has made sure that would never happen.

             1. That’s an excellent question, Lauri. A loving parent would let Kate stand on her own two feet . . . helping her when she needs it . . . but not running in and taking over. If the staff were taking advantage (remember the article about William yelling at them for not giving Kate enough respect?), then Carole should teach Kate how to take control and deal with people, rather than elbowing her out of the way and setting up camp.

    2. Hi Newbie!

       My thing is that if Kate can’t handle her household on her own, I would think a good mother would tell her 33 year old daughter to grow up and get a grip, not step in a run it for her. Helping out at first (or occasionally after that) is one thing, which is fine, but Carole seems to have full control and do pretty much everything instead of having Kate learn how to do it. Helping is fine for a bit but at some point you have to let them fend for themselves. They need to learn to do it on their own. IMO, if the problem is Kate doesn’t know how to run a household, then she needs to shadow Carole in order to learn, then Carole needs to step aside and let Kate do it herself. But as it is right now the image we are getting is one of Kate letting Carole do all the work and not bothering to learn how to run her own household.

       So I understand what you are saying about Carole helping out, but if Kate is the problem then Carole needs to be the one with a backbone and say she is not going to do everything for Kate and that Kate needs to learn to do it herself. That’s what a good parent does. Tough love, but it will make Kate a better person in the long run.

       1. But of course, Carole doesn’t want that. She has been the one manipulating this relationship from day one to make sure it goes the distance. This relationship should have died after university but it lingered because of William (and kate’s) mummy issues. I wonder if Carole has her own suite at Anmer? Because now that she’s moved onto HM’s property, she’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

          Newbie, you may see a couple that is in love. I do not and never have. People “supremely in love” with each other do not have the body language these two have had for years. See Letizia and Felipe of Spain for comparison. I’m with James Whittaker on this one about the nature of W&K’s relationship, as others have said too.

    3. If Kate is emotionally fragile, that must have been evident to her parents throughout her entire childhood, teen years and early adulthood. Caring parents get help for their children. Caring moms don’t take over their kids’ lives.

       I agree, Newbie, Kate does appear to be unable to take care of things that most adults can handle. However, her mother coming to the rescue time and time again is not to be applauded in any situation.

       Yes, parents are always parents, but they let their children grow up. They provide support and advice when needed, but allow their adult children to live their own lives.

       Something is very wrong with the Carole-Kate-William relationship. I think Michael sees that and is not able to reign Carole in.

       PC is out to destroy Carole, I think. Camilla is too. Charles won’t want his grandchildren — especially his granddaughter — to fall prey to incompetent mothering skills from Kate, or the overbearing, controlling ways of Carole.

       William, William, be a man and remove your family from Carole’s control . Someone else can make that toast for you. Maybe, even Kate.

25. At some point Kate has to become an adult and be responsible. At some point Carole has to let go, so that she can be responsible. Carole controlling every aspect of their marriage doesn’t make her a hero nor does it save the marriage. I would argue that it complicates the marriage and makes it worst off. I think Kate loses respect from her husband if she can’t run her household. Additionally, the fact that Michael has had the reaction stated in the DM tells me that he knows Carole has overstepped the mark! I put a huge part of the blame on Carole. She controls her children and husband, now she is trying to take control of the RF. She is making herself indispensable so that one day she will have control of the RF. Hopefully, PC will wake PW up so that something can be done about Carole. As a mother, I would never want to control my daughters household and marriage. There is a line and Carole has crossed it!!

    1. I agree that Carole being so involved in their marriage does the opposite of what she is trying to do. It is not healthy.

       I hate to say this, but man I hope Carole dies before William takes the throne. Otherwise she will try and assert herself even more into royal life, and William the Idiot will allow it.

       1. Is she doing anything to make herself indispensable so she will get a title?

          1. She’s probably gunning for that. And William will probably give her one if she is still alive when he takes the throne.

26. I think Kate Middleton/Duchess of Cambridge has the potential to manage the household and be a good mother if she was left to it. I am unsure what a gatekeeper is? Carole is and obviously planned to rule once her daughter was in. I think though that is one part of the problem. If William loved Kate, Carole would not need to step in. I dread the influence Carole has on the Royal children. I hope Prince George becomes protective of Princess Charlotte and vice versa.

    1. A gatekeeper is the person you have to go through to see someone else. At a large firm, you have to get past the receptionist. At Anmer, if you want to talk to William or Kate, you have to get past Carole. Including the staff, apparently.

       What stood out the most for me in that article was the most mundane thing. Carole likes family meals, with everyone at the table, no elbows on the table (my mother’s mantra too!), no interruptions or phone calls . . . except for William.

       1. Do forget they have to say thank you when it’s done.

          1. Prince William having to thank Ma Middleton. What a ghastly prospect. Does Carole thank William for marrying Kate?

             1. Every night when she serves him his cheese on toast, most likely.

             2. lol

          2. LOL Lisa. William’s probably exempt as he is from not taking phone calls.

27. What an interesting article; most likely Mike’s disapproval of Carole’s tactics in seeing their granddaughter before Charles could have been the reason for his arriving separately from his wife and daughter. And I can understand Carole helping out up to a point (key phrase) since this is her daughter with two young children, but if the degree to which she wants to hunker down and stay put is true she’s coming across as Mrs. Danvers wanting to be the indispensable power behind the throne. She has insidiously wormed her way into William and Kate’s life, with their approval, and the only naysayer may very well be Mike. Time will tell how much this is going to affect their own marriage if Carole is indeed house-hunting in Norfolk and he wants to stay at Buckleberry. Will he go along with Carole’s plans or will we see another marriage with spouses supposedly living together who are actually going their separate ways? Stay tuned, peeps.

28. Originally articles stated that both Middletons would be at Amner Hall for a month to visit and help with the baby. Sounds like only Carole will be staying now. Bad situation all around. Makes you wonder where Michael and Carole’s marriage is headed. Does Carole not see the damage she is creating within her perimeter? The ripple effect will end up hurting those closest to her while she continues to march over anyone who dares to defy her. This situation continues to get messier and messier. If BP doesn’t step in soon to do damage control they’re going to have a very difficult and tricky problem on their hands. Though with William and Kate perfectly happy with Carole’s enabling I’m not sure what steps can be taken. As someone above stated, William, Kate, and Carole should all be in therapy. Michael seems to be the only one who’s seeing clearly these days. This is such an unhealthy situation for all involved and cannot possibly end on a happy note.

    1. As long as she gets what she wants, I don’t think she cares whom she hurts.

29. I wonder if Phase 2 of Carole’s master plan involves Harry and Pippa..

    1. I’m sure Carole would absolutely love for that to happen. But hopefully Harry is smart enough to stay away from that. He has been distancing himself from William and Kate lately.

       1. Please don’t laugh, but I think Carole was so taken with Diana when she was younger, that she began her own little plan of finding her own pathway to the Royal Life. If she couldn’t marry a prince, then of course, one of her daughters would
          I find it interesting in such modern times that a middle-class — ok, upper middle-class mother and family — would give their daughters such regal names. Catherine Elizabeth. Phillippa Charoltte. Oh, and then, the son, James!
          I don’t know. I’m American and such names during those years weren’t part of the Yank Name Game.
          And, before anyone accuses my parents of giving me the name Mary Elizabeth, that is just my handle here. Homage to both my grandmas.

          1. That is so funny – I have thought the exact same thing. Elizabeth for the QUeen, Phillippa Charlotte for Charles and Phillip, James William for William.
             Of course they were obsessed with royalty.

             1. I never thought about that. How weird. Carole certainly has issues.

          2. Mary Elizabeth, I’ve always thought that Carole started dreaming her daughter might marry William as soon as William was born. As Kate got older Carole turned dreams into a plan. She sent Kate on the same trip to Chile that Will went on (different time, but same outfit) and had Kate transfer to St. Andrews and major in art history. Yes, this marriage didn’t happen by fate or chance. It was well orchestrated.

             1. Well said. She also became the mother that he always dreamed of. With Diana gone, he was an easy mark.

          3. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Carole had a huge fascination with Diana. It’s so creepy that Carole was probably planning this from so long ago.

          4. This idea was actually in another article I read. That growing up Carole idolised Diana.

             1. What about William? What if he found someone else and was his choice? I read somewhere that Diana told him to be his own man. Surely if Diana had wanted that Carole being obsessed should have let things be. I read that at the time at St Andrew’s university Michael Middleton confirmed they were just friends. I never actually knew whether they were more or not until the split in 2007.

             2. Kate was just his back up for ten years. Like a loyal dog.

                William had other girlfriends, but they ditched him for various reasons… He was supposedly a cheater, His insufferable, hooray henry personality, and/or the thought of marrying into the BRF.

                He never seemed that serious about kate. He obviously didn’t think about how she would perform in her role as a duchess/member of the brf, not to mention having to be married to each other.

30. I wonder if that is the reason for the obvious rift between Harry, William and Kate. I have only just begun to read about the RF but I have noticed a distance between all three in the past year in pictures and articles.

    1. It could very well be. Harry probably sees how off the Middletons are and wants nothing to do with them. And because William is so entrenched, Harry stays away from him, too.

       1. Or, it could be that Harry really never got to know Kate that well. He admitted to barely knowing her before the wedding, and since, his life and their life have taken such different paths. Likely, the only times they actually see each other is during official duties- when we are often observing them ( looking awky, not saying much). It’s also been said that Kate and Harry’s girlfriends have never really connected, in fact Chelsey was more of a “Pippa personality”.

          1. Yeah, Kate and Chelsy weren’t close or anything. And I would assume Kate never actually met Cressida. Harry did slip and say that he didn’t get to know Kate before the engagement. I wonder why William kept her away from Harry. Will and Harry used to hang out, right? If Kate was such a big important part of William’s life it seems weird that he didn’t get her to become friendly with his brother.

31. Comment

32. Sorry my typing mistake! What i wanted to type was, I know this might sound extreme & weird to print. I believe the middletons should be careful not to cross the line with the royals, because they are more powerful than the middleton family! Charles can be ruthless if pushed to far, i am not saying P.C. cannot be nice he can be. Now that Charlotte has arrive, charles can push out whether carole fight back or not she will be gone for good! Just my opinion!

    1. Oh for sure, if the RF wanted to be ruthless with the Midds, they most certainly could. The Midds would be powerless to stop them.

       1. I agree, BUT why would they want to be ruthless with the Midds? I mean, they knew they were getting the middle class connection when they allowed W and K to marry, with all it entails (such as a hands on grandma making a lot of fuss). And I can’t imagine a royal-adoring Carole preventing Charles from seeing the children. Quite the contrary.

33. This is a bit late for this thread, but I wonder if anyone has ever thought that perhaps these latest little snide articles in the DM are already the start of an orchestrated attempt by someone within the RF to discredit the Middletons, or Carole Middleton. Prince Charels lamenting that he doesn’t see his grandson enough, “the march of the Middletons”, now this insinuating article that their might be trouble in the Middleton marriage. Prince Charles and Camilla are quite savvy when it comes to using the right channels to let their feelings be known. PW knows how this game is played as well, he was used by his father’s PR from time to time, as was Prince Harry. Camilla had a direct line to Mr. Whittaker to let her and Charles’s side in the break up of the marriage be known. It only led to Diana fighting back, and if William is as stubborn as his mother, he will do the same and will only get closer to the Middletons as a result. I suppose KM will not take it lightly reading, although she doesn’t read these things, that her mother is painted as dominatrix taking control of Anmer Hall, plus raging hormones after giving birth… I can imagine PW is quite in for something. What I actually wanted say is, it looks to me as if someone is feeding some journalists little tidbits and they are slapping it up and I would bet on it, it’s from Charles’s office. Or Camilla. Both Charles and Camilla are not really fond of the Middletons. This portrayal of the perfect family unit and marriage was a bit unnerving for them, and probably totally boring and middle-class.

    1. I actually don’t think William really understand how the PR game is played. If he did, he would realize there is a symbiotic relationship there and his bullying techniques don’t work long term. I think he understands there is a game, and I think he thinks he is a natural at it just like his mother, but I don’t think he is actually good at it.

       I was actually thinking this particular article may be the DM reading into the Middletons arriving separately to KP to visit Charlotte the exact same thing we did here – that there is something wrong in the marriage and possibly that Michael put his foot even a little bit down.

       Someone somewhere (I remember replying to it, I just don’t remember where it was) made a comment that it’s possible the press are targeting Carole as an indirect way to target Will and Kate. Because what these articles attacking Carole do is indirectly paint Will and Kate in a bad light – William has a bad relationship with his father, is stubborn, likes being treated like a king/babied; Kate is incompetent in running her own household, likes being babied, has a codependent relationship with her mother.

       1. I wonder if staff at AH have altered staff at Sandringham and it’s made it’s way to PC’s camp or if they’ve just spoken to the media themselves… there were some seriously specific detail thought it (including what brand glassware they have).

          I personally don’t see Prince Charles himself being okay with or leaking stories that have the potential to hurt or harm his son, but I could see his friends and the Men in Grey doing it.

34. Harry is awesome, loved how when one of the kids was too shy to read his question Harry helped him 🙂

    http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/may/11/prince-harry-id-love-to-have-kids-right-now

35. Seems like PW is not lending his mother the advocacy one would have expected from him.

Comments are closed.