Kate Middleton attends first ever State Banquet (updated)

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Kate Middleton attends first ever State Banquet (updated)

by katemiddletonreview249 Comments on Kate Middleton attends first ever State Banquet (updated)

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, attended their first ever State Banquet this evening, October 20, at Buckingham Palace in honor of the President of China. The Cambridges joined Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in honoring President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan. *Updated with more photos*

Kate wore a bespoke red embroidered tulle gown by Jenny Packham and the Lotus Flower Tiara, on loan from the Queen, that she previously wore to the diplomatic reception in 2013. Kate also wore the Queen’s diamond chandelier earrings that she’s worn on a number of occasions. Kate carried a red clutch.

Kate red Jenny Packham gown

Kate wore two diamond bracelets, one on each wrist, that belong to the Queen. On her left wrist Kate wore a diamond bracelet that was a wedding gift to HM from Prince Philip made from diamonds from a tiara once belonging to Philip’s mother. On her right wrist, Kate wore what looks like a diamond choker previously belonging to Queen Mary which was converted to a bracelet by the Queen Mother (thanks to Order of Splendor for the id).

Kate was given pride of place behind the Queen as second most senior royal present (after the Queen, Philip, and William) and sat next to President Xi. Oh yeah, Kate also wore her hair up.

Though it had been endlessly reported that Kate had received the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II, Kate showed up Order-less, apparently not having received that honor yet. I’m kind of glad because the rumor started in a Daily Mail article meant to sell a book and the thought that Kate would get the Order came as pure speculation from that book’s author. Then everyone ran with the idea that Kate got the Order. Personally, I don’t think Kate should receive the Order until she becomes a full time working royal.

Kate at State Banquet

Diamond wedding bracelet
[Diamond bracelet wedding gift to HM from Prince Philip]

The Queen wore a white tulle banquet dress with a harlequin design, embroidered with white and silver beads and diamante sequins by Angela Kelly. HM wore the Modern Sapphire Tiara with the a sapphire and diamond set of necklace and earrings that were given to her as a wedding gift from her father. HM wore the sash and star of the Order of the Garter (Britain), and the Royal Family Orders of George V and George VI. HM also wore a brooch on the back of her sash to keep it in place.

The Queen gave a speech saying in part:

    “The United Kingdom and China have a warm and longstanding friendship. Prince Philip and I recall with great fondness our visit to China almost thirty years ago, where we were privileged to experience your country’s rich history and culture, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors: all unforgettable memories of China’s ancient civilisation. […]
    “I was delighted that my grandson Prince William was able to witness these changes during his first visit to China earlier this year. Like myself and Prince Philip, he visited not only your great cities of Beijing and Shanghai but also the beautiful province of Yunnan, and saw at first-hand the strong connections which bind our two countries together, be they in culture, education or business.”

[royal.gov.uk]

Sapphire and Diamond set

Here is a video of the banquet including the arrivals and the speeches.

Prince William and Prince Edward were there. William sat next to Madame Peng Liyuan, and Edward sat next to Samantha Cameron. Other royals in attendance not pictured were Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, and Princess Alexandra.

Prince William at China State Banquet Prince Edward at China State Banquet

Chins state banquet menu

Because I know we love hearing about the food at these types of event, the menu for the dinner consisted of: A fillet of west coast turbot with lobster mousse; roasted loin of Balmoral venison in a madeira and truffle sauce with braised red cabbage, cocotte potatoes, and timbale of celeriac and butternut squash; and for dessert, a délice of dark chocolate mango and lime; and fruit.

dinner for China state banquet

table for China state banquet

Here are some other ladies (including The Duchess of Gloucester, 3rd from the right) in tiaras for the State Banquet.

Ladies in tiaras for China State Banquet

I must say, it was fantastic to get to see the arrivals and speeches and everything. We don’t normally get this much coverage of these types of events.

UPDATE: more photos.

Links with more photos: Daily Mail. Express.

Photos: Getty / Twitter / Telegraph livefeed screengrab / The Royal Collection / British Monarchy @BritishMonarchy


Websites: Kate Middleton Review Meghan Markle Review

249 thoughts on “Kate Middleton attends first ever State Banquet (updated)”

    2. So true.

      I’m sorry but she do not carry that georgeous tiara in a regal way like other royal ladies in a tiara – her hair just do look as good as Princess Madeline and Sofia, Sweden.

  2. I’m glad Kate didn’t show up with the Order, either. I agree with you, KMR, that it should be reserved for those who are full-time working royals–it should reflect exceptional service to the monarch and/or the country. Kate has done, well, nothing to merit it. Her receiving it at this point would be like those participation trophies they give to every kid on the soccer team.

    I wonder what she and her dinner companions found to talk about.

    1. Apparently they had translators behind everyone so they could communicate because the royals don’t speak Chinese. I, too, wonder what they talked about. How the food tasted and how the flight over was? I can’t imagine Kate or William having too much to say. The Queen and President probably had stuff to talk about and you know Philip was charming the President’s wife. But Kate and William left to talk to the other people they were sitting next to? Eh, probably not too deep of conversations. Plus I’m sure there are protocols for what is acceptable and not acceptable to talk about. I doubt they talked about anything too substantial.

      1. Yeah, it’s not a time to start debating human rights or metaphysics (not that I can see Kate being able to go to bat on either of those). But there is definitely a real art to small talk like that, and we’ve seen that Kate flounders there (the infamous Fortnum and Mason visit, anyone?). I hope she did better today, but I’d agree that it was probably a pretty boring evening sitting next to her or to William.

        I love your image of Philip charming the wife of the visiting president. I can just see it!

        1. I hate to disagree, but I simply cannot see Ol’ Philip as charming, and most especially to a foreigner. He has done hundreds of these types of receptions so I imagine he is okay…but his feelings about people different from himself is pretty well documented, from what I understand. From the interviews I have seen of him he comes off as very self-serving. Of course, that is just my perception/opinion. Just because he is 90 something, let’s not make him into some saint he is not.

          Kate’s red dress is fine. And by fine I mean thankfully modest and boring. But I don’t understand the sleeves, because in the one good picture of her cap sleeve, it appears to be unravelling. (?)

          1. Yeah, but Philip loves the ladies.

            The “unraveling” is a specific detailing that Kate is fond of. She has that on several of her bespoke clothes.

          2. I read a book by one of Japan’s top geisha that talked about Philip visiting a traditional Japanese tea house. Apparently, he was very interested in the culture around him–and in the women. That’s why I can see it so vividly.

          3. Yes but he is also quoted as saying about Beijing on his state visit in 1986: “Ghastly,” and also on that state visit: “If it has four legs and is not a chair, has wings and is not an aeroplane or swims and is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it” as well as saying to a group of British students: If you stay here much longer, you’ll all be slitty-eyed.” He asked about the Chinese and Russian ambassadors to President Obama in 2009, “Can you tell the difference between them?” with a chuckle. What is he going to say to Peng Liyuan? “If you don’t like the filet, I’m sure we can cook you up a cat.” I truly love the Duke of Edinburgh, he’s absolutely delightful but oh to be a fly on the back of his chair!

          4. The Duke is known for these comments. You just want to shake your head. He was raised in a different time and age. Everyone has that uncle who says something so outlandish, but you still love him. And throw a big old “bless his heart” when you talk about him.

      2. I’m pretty sure William can do more than master a pretty decent conversation. Let’s not forget his pedigree and breeding, he’s a male English aristocrat. Not only at home but his schooling as well, he’s an Etonian. There are a number conversational skills they have up their sleeves.

        William hates the media and doesn’t want to do anything in front a camera. He begrudging gives a few sentences here and there when cameras and mics are in ear shot of his conversations most times, it’s not because he can’t hold a conversation.

        1. Going by what he said to the president of Singapore and to POTUS, it seems William’s education and pedigree passed him by.

          Talk about embarrassing conversational talking points. And by their reactions – blank looks – the recepients were flummoxed too.

          People give William a pass or don’t pay attention to him because Kate is so awkwardly vapid, but William is very much the same.

          It makes it worse because he’s had life long training. He’s much more relaxed when operating publicly on his terms, but that seems to bring out a crassness and boorishness. He makes unfunny jokes at other people’s expense which are laughed at because people are giving him a pass instead of pointing out how crass he is being. Ditto his speeches.

          Kate has a very poor teacher in William. She’s awkward because of William who appears to berate her if he doesn’t approve of her performance. Considering how awkward he is, can you imagine her improving? Can you imagine how much better she would be if Harry was her teacher?

          1. Some good points Herazeus.

            I’m not sure what happened during his university years but since then William’s different if you look at documentaries, interviews and his general demeaned at events and walkabouts. There was a reason why everyone used to like him.

            You’re right about Kate having the wrong teacher. I do think if she were interested in learning she would, like Princess Diana did, find the help to excel. But I think they have little interest in getting involved with The Firm.

        2. That’s not what I meant when I mentioned William. I meant he’s not going to talk shop with the Chinese First Lady and Mrs. Justin Welby. He’s going to keep it light and fluffy. Nothing too substantial; just boring niceties.

  3. Kate does not look happy or interested or excited [at least to be wearing all those diamonds!]. She does look bored and hesitant and scared. I’m not disappointed because I had zero expectations of her at this dinner. Yawn on her. Another vote here that she doesn’t deserve the Order yet, either.

    Great column KMR. Love all the pictures!! Love those sapphires, too. Love the Queen!!

    1. I watched the video and almost everyone looked bored during the speeches, they went on for some time. Maybe that’s it or maybe she was hesitant and scared.

      1. I agree, I must say she takes the cake though. It would be easier to overlook if ‘bored’ wasn’t her default setting on the less fun, sport and celebrity filled type events. During the Queen’s speech it seems as if she can’t concentrate, her eyes are up and down and to the side and up and down and everywhere. It’s like she’s listening more to the internal dialogue in her mind than the Queen.

        Possibly on such occasions as this it hits home that she’s not the belle of the ball the press make her out to be, that it’s serious business this royalty stuff and she’s out of her depth. If she applied herself, showed interest in the less fluffy stuff and stopped refusing to work she could learn and not have as much reason to be hesitant and scared.

    2. Agree.

      May have been ordered to attend (there was no prev. confirmation she would, could at least look please like sporting events. Also may be worried about eating.

      So relieve an Order is not worn by such non deserving marry in… she is still middleton and refuse to join the RF, lack of service to HM POW (the people), lack duties.

      2. I agree. It seems Kate can’t put on a pleasant face for a couple of hours. This blows my tongue in cheek theory about Kate. I wondered if she was ‘on strike’ since the wedding due to being lent a ‘dinky’ tiara. But, here she is in a new bespoke gown (which looks like many others she has from Charles), a pile of gems and a hefty tiara and she still looks miserable.

        1. ” wondered if she was ‘on strike’ since the wedding due to being lent a ‘dinky’ tiara. ” I think the queen takes into account your preferences. She may have given Kate the tiny Scroll tiara because Kate prefers tiny jewellery. Almost all the tiaras that the queen likes are property of the Crown and can’t just be lent out for weddings.

          Maybe Kate isn’t naturally charming and prefers to be quiet in a corner. Or maybe formal engagements aren’t her thing; she looks happy enough her drunken mates during her party years.

  4. So my birthstone is sapphire, I wonder if the Queen would loan me this set for my big day?! If I owned those jewels I would wear them everywhere and I mean everywhere!

    Watching the video I was taken by how bored everyone looked during the speeches and was rather surprised they went on as long as they did. I did notice that Kate tried to talk to the gentleman on her right but he didn’t seem too interested. As the President’s senior advisor I’m pretty sure he spoke Engllish, maybe he’s already heard of her sparkling conversational skills.

    Omg, the food sounded wonderful!! And served on gold plates?? The flowers, the lighting, everything in that room was stunning!

    I can’t decide if I like this look on Kate. The dress was pretty, color was appropriate, the tiara is beautiful but is it just me or did it look askew on her head? Maybe the side part was throwing my perspective off. I can’t really say what’s wrong with this look but it’s just not wowing me, I mean it’s fine, pretty, etc but I just can’t get excited about it.

    2. I didn’t like the flowers 🙁

      They could have wowed their guests with an amazing assortment of red and white blooms … instead, the table setting looked fuddy-duddy.

      The Daily Mail has a ‘buy one like this’ section in the article (as they often do), and there’s a gorgeous Alexander McQueen gown which would’ve looked far nicer on her. Again, this one looks fuddy-duddy. Her hair let the tiara down … if it had been slicked back / back-combed, the tiara and earrings would have been shown off beautifully, plus it would have been a brave fashion move for Kate. Her make-up is just awful.

      1. I’m wondering why no one has forced her to hire a make up artist yet. Or fire whoever’s doing her makeup. It’s just terrible.

    3. If I owned jewels like that I’d wear them everywhere – including in the bath like Princess Margaret.

      I personally think the tiara looked odd on Kate’s head. Like it wasn’t placed correctly.

  5. Colour me bored by Kate’s entire look. She looked frumpy and as old as a well preserved young matron.

    Dress definitely lacked something. The opposite of Coco chanel’s mantra to take something off.

    You’d think a red dress + diamonds would look fabulous, but no. Not here. Perhaps it’s her air of missing personality that dulls the outfit?!

    BTW, this dress is somewhat similar to dress she wore to gala in LA on her first tour. On that occasion, dress was beautifully accessorised, and she didn’t look like a matron.

    Whoever convinced her to style her hair this way hates her. She also looked matronly when she styled it this way at the royal variety show.

    As for the order, I genuinely thought she would receive one, one, only for the heir and spare since HM has given them baubles in line with status as opposed to merit, but i’m glad she didn’t receive it this time.

    2. Amen. Thank you!

      HM at her age and yes, royal from birth – but look at her – so proud of both HM DoE (the other royals look regal as well).

      Kate is lacking – for someone who is always shopping, hair/spa/trainer – there is not a pampered – aristo or regal look. Just shows all the money… practice is greatly needed (even in the way a royal carry themselves), and she has no interest to learn from the RF/role models like Do Cornwall/ P Anne/ Countess Wessex.

    3. I am so with you! The new hairdo is so unflattering and lacks any sense of “wow!” The dress, too. Red, but so not powerful! I am also glad that she did not receive the Order. She is so lazy and unprepared for her duties.

      William and Edward looked so stodgy. William, what happened to you? You aged so quickly and not well.

      I think the Chinese Head of State’s wife looked lovely.

      HM knows how to wear a tiara! Rhiannon will, too.

      Sorry, I need to repeat myself. Who told Kate she needed those bangs? Again, I am in agreement he/she must despise her. It is the worst look of all.

        1. Sweden has delicious looking flowers ;o)

          William may have been grumpy looking bc now all can see snowflake rightfully did NOT receive HM Family Order.

          Snowflake can promote carol middletons climbing hanging on – break RF Christmas and other traditions – no service duties to HM the people- flip off POW and his grandchildren (along with Willnot), she don’t deserve a Family Member Order.

          No wonder she gave HM/POW, all of us ‘the finger’ with her first back to duties thigh slit (this after Balmoral meeting)…

      2. While the sapphires themselves are gorgeous – QEII’s tiara is just tethers on the edge of being an eyesore, aesthetically speaking. All her modern tiaras (made for her during her reign) are awful: The Brazilian Aquamarine takes first place as the most hideous while the Burmese Rubt and this sapphire tiara ties for second place.

      3. I dislike the bang/fringe. She reminds me of a puppy hiding behind one of their floppy ears. Along the lines of ‘if I can’t see you, then it means you can’t see me’.

    4. Kate doesn’t deserve the family order. There’s a heck of a lot more to it then having children. Which mind you she wanted anyway, 3 if the papers are to be believed, so even that wasn’t some great service to the monarch and British crown, royal title or not she was going to have them.

      I think the Queen initially believed the best they way most of us did, hence the earlier liberties and allowances the Cambridges enjoyed, as well as gestures in line with their status despite their duties being well below that of a senior royal. The Middletons were being whole-hearted embraced by her and Prince Phillip, were invited into their royal enclosures and amazingly enough even to join in HM’s Jubilee celebrations. Things seem to have changed now.

      There’s no way the Queen’s missed Carole and Michael being the first to see and inform the public about her future heir, or March of the Middletons and the way Cambridges have been enjoying their royal station without the responsibilities. I don’t foresee any more free rides where she’s concerned.

      1. I agree with you. I think the lack of RFO is a sign to everyone from HM that she’s not happy. Things will start changing now as William dare not go against the Queen.

          1. No it is, like what PLANET do these editors think we all live on? Sometimes it’s really quite startling. If the Queen really was close to Kate, she would have been the first to have seen the great-grandchildren (not grandchildren as the article claims) as protocol dictates, Kate would know how to curtsy properly (b/c they would see each other a lot) and Kate would have the Royal Family Order! Camilla, who caused the Queen so much distress in the ’80s and ’90s, was given the Order within two years of the marriage (I know Charles probably leaned on his mother for it but the Queen ultimately makes the decision). Someone at the DM needs to visit the dentist; with all the sugar they take for Kate, they must have a mouthful of cavities! 🙂

  6. Kate looked good. The hair was back and her posture looked a little better. Her body language is so closed off. She does not seem approachable. I’m so glad that she didn’t get the order. It was nice that she was at the head table but really? Having her there was like having a floral arrangement: it’s pretty, smells nice, and just adds to the environment.

    HM’s sapphires were beautiful. Lauri, do you think that she would let me borrow them after I am styled the Duchess of Sussex?

    I believe the middle picture is of Princess Alexandra. Both she and the Duchess of Gloucester are hard working royal women. They don’t work as much as they used to, but are well deserving of the order.

    The menu looks sumptuous! Finally, Will looks so peeved. Can’t the man smile?

    Wonderful roundup, KMR!

    1. Oh Rhiannon you can have the sapphires, as long as you agree to let Lauri C wear them on her birthday and lend the to me every now and again.

      Willis looked like he was constipated, He could have smiled a little bit. As I said before in another thread, Kate looked terrified and her eyes just look empty. I think that royal life is not al that she thought it would be.

      2. I’ll do you one better than that. I’ll invite y’all over to have a good gossip and trying on jewels.

        Will looks like a bitter young man. Kate looks empty eyed.

        1. I’ll bring the wine, cheese and crackers!! I would love to spend an evening with the girls, sitting on the jewel vault floor sipping wine and trying on gobs of jewelry!!

      3. Hi Tanya S, unfortunately I want them for longer than just one day, I want them until they pry them from my cold, dead hands! lol

        I agree with you though, I don’t think royal life has turned out to be what Kate thought it would be. I feel that both her and William expected the public to love them no matter what, the “poor” son of Diana and his lovely wife, through thick and thin, work or no work.

        1. Well since we are in different hemispheres I could have them when you are sleeping LOL. I would love to try on the Lovers Knot Tiara too. I have loved that one since I was a little girl

          1. According to Diana, the Lover’s Knot is apparently quite uncomfortable to wear. Headache inducing and the pearls always clinking on the frame.
            The sartorial problems of royalty.

          2. I would love to have such problems as “the pearls in my tiara clink to loudly when I walk”.

          3. Sigh, To have such problems such as your pearls clinking when you walk. I know that the fashion of the 80”s is looked back upon now as being hideous by some. But I think that Diana nailed it about 95% of the time. She did wear some shockers but she usually looked gorgeous on the big occasions.

      1. ..Will realize the people see he and snowflake unearned luxury and perks – HM Rocks! is the protector (like POW W,essexs DOY, Kents Glouchesters senior royals) – no middleton (willnot or carol), mess with The Monarchy.

    3. rhiannon – you nailed it. She’s just ornamental – like wallpaper. There is nothing sparkling about her. I thought she looked rather boyish in this look – there was nothing feminine or exciting about her. She comes off as just thin cardboard to hang the jewels on.

  7. I was so relieved to see that Kate has not been bestowed with an order. I always thought that story in the DM was a load of crap. Kate looked pretty but nothing to gush over.

    1. I always thought that story of her getting the Order was such crap since it came from some random author. But everyone ran with it. And then I was the loan wolf going, “Wait a second guys, look at the source for that rumor.” I’m so happy that I was proven right in the end, lol.

      2. I doubt she’ll get one if she keeps going on like this. Phil Dampier stated that at one point the Queen was heard to say to somebody “Kate doesn’t seem to do very much.”

        Have you seen A Right Royal Year? It was refreshing to hear some people calling Kate and William out on a few things. Robert Jobson said he thinks they should be doing more and that it’s time for the young royals to take on more. One of the historians, Dominic Sandbrook, quizzed what exactly Kate does as a patron beside lending her name to a charity, and said he doesn’t see her behind a desk with piles of papers.

        They also called out how ‘ridiculous’ William’s complaints of being photographed in public are (Simon Vigar) and how he thinks he can control the media. Robert Jephson commented how the royal family needed good will in its relationship with the media not good lawyers. One commented that the truce that existed during William’s schools years was wearing off and we’ll see more unauthorised photos.

        2. Well William has been out of school for more than a decade and he is supposedly the most senior royal after his grandparents and father, so I don’t know why there should be any so-called “truce” now. 🙂

          1. The threat of legal action is what is keeping the British press at bay now, it started with the photos of W&K walking Lupo on the beach when they lived in Wales. The press stated that beaches were public places when William got upset but the palace threatened legal action arguing that W&K, and their dog, were having a private moment, also that if these photos were printed the paps would flock to Wales.

            Legal action or the threat of it has not worked in Europe. After the balcony France pictures were printed he took legal action in France which they say was a mistake on his part because the price of the remaining pictures drove and profile increased which led to the wider 26 page spread in Italy and availability across Europe.

          2. Gie, I understand the legal action part of it (my mother was a public solicitor in the U.S. and my father was a police officer and detective for 35 years) but I would think under some provision of the EU charter, the press could claim freedom of the press or freedom of expression and (ironically) shut William up. If a known terrorist can claim a violation of the Human Rights Act to stay in Britain b/c he had a pet, I think the press and their lawyers could get William to back off.

          3. They issued no complaint when KM and her sister were walking on the same public Welsh beach, photographed and the pictures published. That was when Pippa was promoting her book. Yanking the press chains and changing the rules every other day makes things worse.

  8. She has 2 beautiful gowns that she wore in her honeymoon phase. I know one of them was Jenny Packham. The one was a blush color with a chevron waistline and covered in gorgeous sequins, and the other was a lilac number that looked spectacular on her, as well. Or hey, what about the teal lace backed gown she wore with one of her very first updos? I do not love the red dress at all, it’s the wrong shade for her. She can’t do bright, she needs deep cool jewel tones.
    I think I need to get over there and reintroduce her to the awesome in her closet, forget about this boring new crap she keeps stubbing her toe on, arg!

    1. Agreed.

      This dress is a poor imitation of that lilac gown.

      However, she was scarily thin in her first 18mths, which is when she wore those dresses, so I doubt they would fit now.

      She’s skinny now, but not as scarily thin as she was then.

      If you notice, she hasn’t re-worn anything clothing-wise from that time principally because she was so scarily thin and most of them were form fitting.

      Exception, a green coat, a long white dress and Military skirt + blouse which were both too big the first time she wore them, and now fit perfectly.

      1. That is true, she’d have given Flat Stanley a run for his money back then! Two kids in, her body will have changed anyway, and I guess she did just give birth 6 months ago.

  9. Hmm, Kate at her first state dinner. I had expected DM to make it all about Kate but was surprised to see that they didn’t, in fact they stressed that Kate was sitting where she was due to being the wife of the second in line to throne. Nice dress but I do agree with fairygodmom’s comment about the sleeve edges looking like they are unraveling.
    The clutch Kate was clutching on to looked lost.
    I really shouldn’t have looked at some of the sugar sites, but I did… Can you believe that some of them actually talk about how Kate “recycled” a tiara? Hello? How can you say that an heirloom piece of jewellery is recycled? You recycle paper or plastic or glass but recycling a valuable piece of jewellery just by wearing it more than once? Really?

    1. Oh I looked at one of the sugar pages on FB and nearly overdosed on sugar. They were all waffling on about how beautiful Kate looked and that it was a shame that HM did not give her the Order. I stirred them up by saying that maybe Kate will get the order when she becomes a fulltime working royal. I usually ignore these people but they were annoying me today LOL.

        1. I know G, I think that I was very brave. The funny thing is that no one argued with me and a few people “Liked” the comment. The sugars might have had enough too.

    2. I didn’t even notice the clutch at first because it got lost in the dress. They were literally the same color.

  10. Willie looks like he has wasps in his mouth again, and the pic of him and then the pic of Edward look very similar. That balding looks like where Willie is headed, although Edward is better looking than Willie despite being older.

    1. I have to say I was glad to see that she hasn’t received the order yet. To my understanding the order is given for service to HM and country and Kate hasn’t earned it yet, but I hope that someday maybe she will.

      1. I agree. I’m happy to see that she hasn’t automatically given it to Kate. Others who have earned the Order (like Sophie) do so much more for the Queen and represent her in such a better light.

  12. The red dress. What is with the red dress? Heart Awareness isn’t for another four months. Is she trying to direct attention to herself rather than the Queen? I know the media said she wore it because it’s the color of China’s flag but isn’t that rather insensitive? Couldn’t she have worn blue for Britain? I know the Queen doesn’t care about what others wear but still. It draws attention to her.

    1. Red is the color of China. I’m guessing Kate wore red as a nod to the visiting country. She does a lot of that theme dressing.

    2. I thought the same thing about red being a “look at me” color. But whoever did the rest of the styling had to manage to get her hair up and put her in something of an appropriate length and neckline.
      I also thought she seemed happy because she knows people are going to lose their minds when they see her in a tiara. So bright red just added to her self centered ness for the night.

    3. Too much red. She could have gone for red accents on her dress instead. The way she did it looks too intentional. Other similar themes she could try might be Gold or Jade so she doesn’t repeat. In particular, I liked a green-blue dress of hers once. Come on Kate! Be creative!

    4. The red was very appropriate for China. It has a lot of meaning in Chinese culture, it symbolizes luck and joy and is often worn at ceremonies.

      The queen can do no wrong in my eyes, but it would have been nice if she had worn her ruby tiara for this event. That’s how significant red is for the Chinese.

      1. I find the Burmese Ruby Tiara ugly so I’m okay if she leaves it in the vault. Given current political debates about Western sanctions on blood rubies from Burma vs. China openly trading with the Myanmar military for blood rubies? Perhaps it was best that the Burmese rubies weren’t on display.

          1. No, sorry, I like the tiara. It was constructed specifically with the belief the number of rubies in it protects its owner’s health. And I like rubies. 🙂

          3. I have to say that I’m not keen on the Nizam of Hyderbad Tiara either.
            They are both clunky and awkward designs – though not quite as bad as the Brazilian Aquamarine. I really don’t like the Modern Sapphire Tiara either. It is not ugly per se but it is an uninspired and pedestrian design that looks too much of a pastiche for a modern piece.

          5. I agree that the BRF need a good floral tiara.

            My favorite of all floral tiaras is the Spanish floral tiara that Queen Letizia often wears. it is simply divine!

          6. The Spanish one is beautiful, and I’m partial to the Danish one too. When Letizia wore the Spanish floral with all those intricate braids? One of her best tiara appearances.

  13. Quick question. Why did Kate have her purse with her in the room? If she needed to bring one with her in the first place isn’t their protocol for not carrying it around?

    1. Could be a security clutch. The Queen is famous for carrying her black pocketbook wherever she goes as a security blanket. She’s done it since ’52.

    2. The Queen always carries a purse. Always. She’s carrying a silver one in the photos.

        1. I wonder if Waity just does the crotch clutch and hunch over because Willy does? In a lot of photos Willy has his hands clasped in front of him. Maybe she just emulates what he does but on her it looks stupid because she hunches over more and clutches harder. She needs to look into a better place to keep her hands, like Princess Di. I wonder if the hunching is because she is so tall and has to talk down to people. If that is the case she could ditch the high heels and she would be shorter and more approachable and maybe less hunching. She needs to take some “good breeding” classes.

          1. That pose isn’t good on William either – it looks like he’s protecting his “jewels”.
            Kate’s poor posture just exacerbates the problem. She really needs to learn to stand up straight and put her shoulders back.

          3. Completely agree. I have a similar body type as Kate, although I’m smaller boned and only 5″ 6, so I see the problem right away. I have an unusually long torso like Kate does and decades of ballet taught me that the only way to look good is to have perfect posture. Its tempting to slouch forward, but looks really bad. She needs ballet or comportment classes.

      2. Thank you. I wasn’t aware of any protocol for it and just thought it looked odd. 🙂 but I guess women need a place to put their things when they don’t have pockets like men.

        1. Yes! I’ve heard about the code. Like when she puts her purse on the table that means she’s ready to leave.

  14. The seating for the events was described by order of splendour. If there is a male guest of honour, the queen and another female “of high rank” (this is whatever the queen decides) will be be next to them. If the guest of honour is female the queen and a male will be next to them.

  15. I liked that Kate’s hair was up and tidy for once. Also liked the tiara but her dress was just plain boring and underwhelming. Sure wish she’d get better advice on how to dress, especially for the big occasions when those gorgeous tiaras and all that beautiful jewelry can be worn. I loved HM’s tiara and that amazing diamond and sapphire necklace that she wore.
    Glad to see after all the hoopla that Kate didn’t actually receive the Order. She hasn’t come close to earning it.

    1. Have to agree with you Geri, the dress was very underwhelming, I was imagining something a bit more exciting!. The hair thankfully was controlled for once. The tiara was a nice touch, surprised to see her wearing the bracelets. She did seem ill at ease. She needs to earn the Order I believe and up until now what she has done has been disappointing and lack lustre, she could do so much more and make a difference.

    2. I feel like since Kate didn’t go with a necklace, the beading on the top part of her dress should have been more noticeable and sparkly to give the dress some interest.

  16. As always, Kate is predictable. To me, there is no ‘WOW’ factor about the way she looked. It’s always been safe and presentable at the very least. And could she have looked any older? If I didn’t know her age, I’d say she’s in her 40s. And even if she is in her 40s, I’d look to women like Letizia of Spain and Mary of Denmark instead of Kate. Letizia and Mary know what works for them and manage to look extraordinary and classy! If I can remember, Mary really wowed me in that dark blue dress during the Bambi Awards 2014.

    I’m sorry for sounding negative and mean … but I just can’t seem to develop a liking towards Kate. I can’t respect someone whose only work was to hang around a rich guy for 10 years waiting for a proposal. I just can’t!

  17. I am sure D of C needed to look somewhat modest, but that gown was just a total snooze. I think she just has very boring taste in clothing. There seems to be something off with her, she looks very removed from her surroundings and haggard.

  18. Kate needed a big blingy necklace to pull her look together. If you look at the other ladies in tiaras, they also have on sparkly necklaces, earrings, brooches, bracelets, and rings. It seems like an appropriate occasion to flaunt your wealth (or at least borrow someone’s wealth).

    1. Maybe a pendent style necklace, but a round necklace like HM’s would have looked odd competing with the neckline of Kate’s dress.

          1. This is exactly what I thought when I saw how “simple” the red dress was, that she maybe thought she would be wearing the RFO and that the dress had been left so plain so as to not overwhelm her…

          2. Interesting thought. She probably did think she was going to get it when she commissioned the dress.

    2. Kate simply doesn’t know how to accessorize. Full stop! It is a problem with all her outfits. It is just more noticeable on this occasion. She needs a stylist – like Mary of Denmark, who is a great example of how accessorizing enhances an outfit and gives an old outfit a “new” look. With proper accessorizing you really don’t need a large wardrobe at all.

        1. IMO, one of Mary’s best looks ever in terms of accessorizing was the outfit she wore at the airport when the DRF welcomed Willem-Aæexander and Maxima of Holland. It was just such a simple and beautiful use of understated purple accects that lifted the beige coat out of the ordinary. Kate tends to colour code her coat and hat outfits in the same colour from head to toe and she really needs to learn the use of complimentary colours.

          https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660856255887/

          https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660856255890/

    3. I completely agree. Some of the pics that I saw today (Wednesday) showed the dress a bit more clearly than other pics, so the dress is more sparkly that I initially thought, but she needed something on her top half to tie it all together.

  19. So, where to begin … ? Firs of all I need to agree with Rhiannon above me – Kate looked good but yet there was nothing special about her. The dress was dull and lack of “wow factor” in both color and style. The only thing I like is her hair but still I am little disappointed about her tiara’s choice. I wish she would chosen something new like that beautiful Strathmore Rose tiara which belonged to Queen Mother but as always she picked something predictable. I have to say that Kate never disappoints me with her kind of boring icon look and every time she debuts in something new I am more and more convinced that in fact she has no style.
    For me the super star of that evening was Madame Peng Liyuan – she looked simply stunning in that navy gown and I think that her white thin belt and beautiful hairdo added something extra to her look . She really looked regal to me although she is not a royal.
    As for William I’ve never seen anything special in him, I’ve never thought he was handsome or what is much more important – masculine or engaging and now I can only expect he will be one of the worst looking monarch in British history – old-looking, dull and so aloof.

    3. I highly doubt Kate gets to choose which tiara she wears. The Queen chooses which pieces she loans out.

      1. Kate doesn’t choose her tiara. Her starter tiara, the Scroll Halo, is probably still on loan to the cartier exhibition, so she’s been loaned a second tiara, this papyrus above.

        HM is in control of the tiaras, and each one is loaned for the exclusive use of the lady who wears it until death or divorce.

        Only Sophie has been loaned 4 different tiaras, including her wedding tiara. Diana was loaned just one tiara, the Cambridge lovers Knot which she said was uncomfortable to wear and often resorted to borrowing the Spencer family tiara.

        Camilla has 2 loaners, the Grenville and Delhi Dunbar tiaras, although she too has been wearing her Cubitt-shand family tiara at events lately.

    4. I have to disagree about the Stathmore Rose. IMO, it is an lackluster piece! Floral tiaras can be beautiful but rarely with the use of big stones – unless the big stone is used as a centre of a flower. The Strathmore is an akward design – especially the central flower, which is made up entirely of big stones that look irregular and don’t match in size either. The rest of the elements of the tiara are symmetrial and balanced and therefore the central flower element throws the entire design off.

      Furthermore, the setting is reportedly so fragile that it can’t be worn at all. Personally, I would dismantle it and have something more beautiful made.

      http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fTJ-jwC0Tvc/TWboumlsbEI/AAAAAAAAAf8/jGrLU_EAe-E/s1600/strathmore_rose.jpg

      1. I think the Strathmore is a sentimental favorite. It was a gift from the Bowes-Lyon family to their daughter when she married the Duke of York. I don’t think the stones or design are of high-quality, but it was what they could afford.

        1. I certainly understand sentimental value. I don’t know the Bowes-Lyon family’s finances at that time but a tiara made in the 1920s shouldn’t be so fragile already. It is one thing that the stones aren’t of the highest water but the frame and settings ought not be this fragile. Do you know which firm made it?

          1. Hi ArtHistorian. According to thecourtjeweller.com, the Strathmore Rose Tiara was bought from Catchpole and Williams, a London-based dealer by the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne for Elizabeth’s wedding. Their source is “The Queen’s Diamonds” by Hugh Roberts. It apparently originated from the later 19th century but it doesn’t specify where or for whom it was originally commissioned. Hope this helps some. Best, Seth. 🙂

          3. Thanks Seth!

            If the frame is silver then that might explain things. One of the reasons that platinum became such a popular material for the setting of diamonds was both its strenght and relative lightness vs silver.

            Today, it seems as though titanium is becoming more and more popular in a similar manner in jewellery design because it is strong and light.

      2. ArtHistorian maybe you are right – I am not an expert on the tiaras but Stathmore Rose is such a beautiful piece that I couldn’t resist imagine that someone could bring that tiara back to life. Ok – I am only dreaming 🙂

          4. Sadly, that gorgeous sapphire tiara has most likely been dismanteled by the Bolsheviks. it features on an old photo taken of the confiscated Romanov jewels. The broke up the pieces and sold off the large stones.

            I makes me sad because it is such a beautiful and very successful design with large stones and dangling drop diamonds. It is everything that Charlene’s VCA tiara ought to have been.

    5. I couldn’t agree more with everything you said of all parties;
      Kate, finally gets to wear a tiara again and it is just a snooze fest.
      William quite unfortunate looking at such a young age.
      Yes, Madame Penn was the best dressed. Lovely way to complete her look with that hairdo and belt.

  20. All in all I thought Kate looked good. However, the heavy makeup is far too aging. No other woman in the Royal family wears that much makeup. It’s aging her rapidly. Sophie always looks fresh faced. You’d never know she was 50. Someone needs to take the eyeliner and eyebrow pencils away from Kate.

    The more she keeps adding filament to her teeth, the more they morph into a Jim Carrey smile.

    William always looks like he loathes his role so much.

    And wouldn’t be surprised if Kate was expecting again. Something about the arms and other areas. Just my opinion of course!

    No wonder I’m loving the Swedish Royal family so much lately. They do modern royalty so well, but also state dinners without looking so miserable. They know how to get out and interact with people without coming across as cardboard and fake.

    Loved a comment on daily mail. Someone stating you know Scraole and Pippa have tried on the tiaras. Something I’ve always thought as well! Not going to lie if I was Kate’s sister I’d ask in a heartbeat to try it on.

    1. I thought Kate looked nice. It wasn’t super spectacular but she did look nice. I think the dress in and of itself is a bit boring, but the outfit as a whole was nice because of all the jewelry.

      Well, Kate drank the wine at the banquet, so I hope she’s not expecting again.

      I don’t know if Carole and Pips tried on the tiaras. Maybe on the wedding day since they were there when Kate was getting ready and putting on the tiara. But Kate doesn’t have free access to these tiaras, they are on loan for these events. So the only time Pips or Carole could try them on is if they are around when Kate is getting ready.

      And I’m not going to lie either, I would try the tiaras on in a heartbeat, too.

    2. I think Kate and Sophie look the same age. The difference is that Sophie has aged extremely gracefully and her kind and compassionate nature is written all over her face. Whereas Kate is far younger and already has had her face settle into lines of discontent and repressed anger. She tends to set her mouth in a tense pursed way and you can tell she does it a lot because she is getting deep crease lines from all her frowning, !lip pursing and self-pitying facial expressions.

  21. I’m curious, does Kate have access to all the tiaras or are her choices limited? Because given a choice I’d go for of one of the bigger tiaras like the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland or the Burmese Ruby!

    1. Perhaps it’s me, but I feel as if she’s going understated for tiaras. Which if so, I think is smart. Let the elder royals wear the bigger more majestic ones. I do love the Strathmore (sp?). I feel if she went big it would be like: I stalked him for 10 years, now I get my choice of tiaras. Look how big this one is?! Because it’s exactly what I’d be thinking.

      Good question: Does she have access to all of them before state events or events that require a tiara.

      1. That’s the thing, I doubt Kate gets to choose which tiara she will wear. So I don’t think she really has a choice, she wears whatever HM is willing to loan out.

    2. I kept laughing at all the articles going “Which tiara will Kate choose”, like she got to pick whichever tiara she wanted. The Queen would give her one to wear, Kate wouldn’t get to choose. And there are ones that HM would never loan to anyone – like the Girls of Great Britain Tiara. Any of the tiaras that HM consistently wears, she would never loan out.

      1. I’m not well versed in the tiaras. So does HM let other members of the family choose certain ones? Upon her passing (adore HM and hope that literally never happens) does the state provide them for the most senior female? How does that work? Thank you.

        1. Most of the other female royals either have tiaras of their own or have been given tiaras from HM as life-time loans. When HM dies, all of her personal jewelry will go to Charles in the sovereign to sovereign transfer to avoid paying estate taxes. What’s a part of the royal collection will stay a part of the royal collection. Then Camilla will have control over the the jewels and who wears what as Queen Consort (or Princess Consort, or whatever they call her).

          1. I was hoping at some point HM would give poor Sophie a decent tiara. Hasn’t she earned it?

            Is there zero chance HM can ‘will’ one of the lot to Sophie?

          2. If it’s from the Queen’s personal jewelry collection, like any other person’s private property, she can will it to whomever she chooses. Usually Sovereigns will the vast bulk of their property to the next Sovereign b/c under legal exemptions agreed to by previous Governments, bequests from Sovereign to Sovereign or Sovereign’s consort to the Sovereign, is exempt from inheritance tax. It’s meant to protect the wealth of the Crown from erosion. When the Queen Mother died, she willed her entire £70 million estate to the Queen, who then distributed various amounts to other relatives. Anyone other than the Sovereign would have to pay inheritance and/or gift tax. Long answer short, the Queen could gift Sophie tiaras but she would have to pay hefty taxes on them and the Wessexes are “only” believed to be worth about £10 million.

          3. Thank you for explaining. Do you know if Sophie will has her own tiara? She’s really becoming one of my favorites. When HM passes, will Sophie have her own tiara or will Charles have to loan her one?

          4. Ccoop- I don’t know. I doubt Sophie has her own tiara. The Queen probably has given loaned her pieces from her collection, like for Kate. When the Queen passes, it is possible Charles would force Sophie to give them back. I don’t think he would but we might very well see much less of the Wessexes and the Yorks in Charles’ reign. Sophie is the Queen’s favorite, that’s been well-documented and Edward as the baby of the family has been indulged and favored by his mother. There will likely be major changes when Charles’ reign begins.

      2. I assume these media outlets are intentionally feigning obliviousness when it comes to the topic of tiaras in order to fill column space because recent articles have been including the Spencer Tiara as one of Kate’s possible go-to tiara options when it belongs to the Spencer family and Diana had to borrow it from her father then her brother when her father passed away. Unless I missed something and all the tiaras in the world belong to Kate now…

        1. Exactly. The articles were incredibly stupid because they got that fact all wrong. I’m guessing they included the Spencer Tiara just so they could reference Princess Diana.

          1. Sigh, Honestly these people should just come to us experts on these matters! We could teach classes on the subjects of royals and how Tiara’s get lent out.

            I want to know what actually happened to the charm bracelet that Diana had. It was her favourite piece of jewellery but too precious for her to wear ( Insert Irony here). I have seen pics of it and it is gorgeous but I have not heard if either of the boys ended up with it. I would much rather have it than “The Blue Ring of Doom”.

          2. Indeed Tanya we could. I can’t believe how we can find out information so easily but the media is flummoxed and gets so much of it wrong. It’s annoying. 🙂

          3. Seth,

            It is beyond annoying, it is incompetent. Are the people writing those articles actually that bad at their jobs or do they have other motives for publishing pieces filled with factual errors?

            It smacks of either incompetence or a lack of professional pride. It really puzzles me that getting the facts right doesn’t seem to be an important aspect anymore, even if it just a fluff piece.

          4. I don’t know, ArtHistorian. It makes me gnash my teeth every time I see an article saying Prince George is heir to the throne. Um, no, give it about a quarter century more. Or that the Queen will abdicate for William. Fascinating. Since this is something of enormous constitutional significance, has anyone informed David Cameron? So many magazines make it seem like swapping out one celebrity for another. The Queen is not a celebrity (which she absolutely LOATHES being compared to). She is the Sovereign of 16 nations and the Defender of the Faith. So many people have no clue how things actually work. Like “The Simpsons” episode (of course it was played for laughs and was hilarious). When Homer runs into the Queen’s car outside Buckingham Palace, she carries a handbag stamped H.R.H., which he takes to mean her name is “Henrietta R. Hippo.” Of course it angers her. Well she isn’t H.R.H., she’s Her Majesty. So in the episode, she has Homer thrown in the Tower of London to be executed. First of all, the Tower of London is a tourist attraction run by the Historic Royal Palaces organization. It hasn’t been used as a prison since the Second World War and I don’t think b/c of its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that it could be again. Second of all, there has been NO death penalty in the United Kingdom under ANY circumstances since 1998 and as long as the UK is subject to the European Convention on Human Rights, there never can be again. Things like that annoy me, even if they are supposed to be played for laughs, b/c they are serious subjects. The Queen has no power to alter the line of succession or to throw anyone in prison, even if prosecutions are carried out in her name. Best, Seth.

      3. I have a Hunch the red dress was maybe a hint from Kate to HM for a better tiara- like oh I’ll be wearing a ‘red’ dress so how about I get one of those ruby laden bigger tiaras?

        Somehow I feel that all the stories in the press about ‘what tiara will she wear’ are planted in the press, possibly to create hype and maybe throw hints in the right direction.

        Also regarding the order- I felt that the whole talk in the media was some kind of ploy to get people talking and to pressure the higher ups into giving the order earlier than necessary. Would not be surprised if the stories were traced back to camp scarole!

  23. This is huge from HM. As mother to future King, it would absolutely be expected that RFO be bestowed on Kate.

    William must be so peeved – its an obvious sign that HM doesn’t approve of their choices to be half arsed Royals. I applaud HM for standing firm.

    How embarrassing for Kate – even more so now Sofia was awarded hers almost instantly.

    FWIW, I see Kate as more like Fergie than Diana. Stupid face pulling, inappropriate dressing, lazy attitude. I’m surprised the journos haven’t made the comparison.

    1. Many journalists have tried, to raise exactly what you pointed out in your last paragraph but the British Press will not dare touch it because of bill middleton throwing a tantrum and them never letting any pictures of the children get published. He is a bully, kate is also a bully even though she is supposed to be a Patron of or attached to an anti-bullying charity. Have seen both of them over the years call the shots, and not nicely either, – it was kate who gave the order not to speak to the press when Charlotte was photographed on the steps of the Lindo Wing, she said to bill, “no – that’s enough” and turned her back and walked. Either way both of these leeches are as bad as each other. I personally cannot stand the pair of them, either their false smiles, hollow words, disgraceful work ethic, and total disrespect for Her Majesty or the people who they actually need to keep their exalted positions. I hope neither of them ever get to the throne. These to are now 33 years old. Bill is treated like a lost boy and given a pass because of his Mother which you do not see Prince Harry ever playing the Diana card. As for her laziness, well she chased him, knew what she wanted now because she actually has to do some work – cannot be bothered. Disrespectful and even my partner will not refer to either of them in any way shape or form. Prince Harry, Her Majesty, Prince Philip, The Princess Royal and Sophie – all the time in the world for. But not these two leeches. Have a good evening/day wherever you are.

  24. Does anyone know why the menu is written in French? That surprises me. I know in the past, French was the language of the upper classes/aristos, but thought we’d moved past that…

    Anyways, regardless of the language, the food sounds incredible and I want that venison so bad! Great wine selections, too! (I live near Meursault!)

    Kate? Boring. Can’t put my finger on it, but that dress is just really “bla” and the whole effect is empty. Is she medicated?

    1. French being the court language hasn’t been a thing since the Tudor era.

      With regards the menu being written in french, it’s considered tres chic to have a menu written in french.

  25. If I was Kate’s stylist, I would’ve suggested a white dress – form fitting and in the style of the ‘buy one like this’ article on the Daily Mail about the dinner (that was red, but white would look amazing), and dressed up with ruby jewels – perfect. Hair slicked back, tiara in pride of place … and some subtle diamond earrings – stud-like as opposed to dangling. As it stands, she has too much going on – unraveling sleeves; a weird fringe that just seems lost; dangling earrings; a complexion that doesn’t suit red … it’s awful.

    I wonder if, in his angry face shot, William was glancing in the direction of Kate? I wouldn’t be surprised – I bet he hen pecks her about every single little thing and she’s scared to put a foot wrong. I don’t think she’s anything to write home about, but I do believe that a lot of her problems stem from being with him, and him not wanting her to do a lot of visits or take on more responsibility. Horrible man.

  26. Well, first let me say that I’m happy she didn’t get an order from HM. That may be petty of me, but I don’t think she has earned it.

    Next, could she look any more bored/boring. It is so obvious that these two do not want the public side of their future positions. The only picture I see her smiling in is the one where they are toasting each other. She’s wearing that vacant “my drugs have kicked in” look in the rest of them. William didn’t look any better.

    As for the tiara, hair and dress. Not impressed in the least. HM loaned her some pretty good bling and it’s just so meh on her.

    I’d say I’m disappointed, but unfortunately it’s about what I expected. And finally, I almost didn’t get past the first photo of her in the car because I can’t get over how big her teeth are now. Yikes!

    1. Oh I’m even more petty. I’m glad she didn’t get the tiara because all of the other Kate blogs were talk about how she would receive the Order and I was like, “That rumor was started by some random author in a DM article.” It’s so petty, but I’m so happy to be proven right.

  27. Boring. Average. Vacant. Her hair looks very much like a style that Sofia of Sweden has done.
    At this point I’m starting to wonder if Kate is medicated? Social anxiety? Who am I kidding. Just lazy and boring.

  28. I don’t think Kate looks good in a tiara. Maybe her wedding tiara but it was partly covered the last the she wore it. At her past few tiara events I can feel her lack of personality. Because whenever people wear statement pieces, they only look good if it goes with their personality.

    In some of the pictures when she smiles, it doesn’t look as strange but when she’s looking bored, the tiara looks off.

  29. There’s a hilarious article in Femail in the Daily Mail about how the Duchess of Cambridge has become the Queen’s close ally. I can’t create a hyperlink but I’m sure y’all can find it. The irony is that the only reason the Cambridges took precedence at the dinner is because Charles and Camilla are exhausted from doing so many engagements which the Cambridges refuse to do and are resting up for their November tour of Australia and New Zealand, which will be their third or fourth major tour of the year. Of course Charles also has warm relations with the Dalai Lama and has expressed his disdain in the past for Chinese policy. It’s likely that also was a reason but the original point is still valid.

    1. Yep – there is a strong bond between Queen and Kate and they become SOOOO close. What is more Kate is even grander that the royals themselves ….. oh please spare me …
      I think I will never understand why the tabloids such as Daily Mail can write the stories like that -do they think we are all imbeciles ?

      1. Thanks Lauri so much. How does one create a hyperlink? I used to do it all the time but I haven’t done it in ages and every time I try, it never works. 🙂

    3. I think something is wrong with Kate, seriously. I (obviously) don’t know if it is issues with William, post-postpartum depression, just general stress from becoming a high-profile Royal, or a combination.

      She looks more and more unhappy, tired, aged, at each event. I saw pics recently from the beginning of her marriage, and I was shocked at how happy she used to look. Even the pics from George’s birth and Charlotte’s birth are night and day. She was so happy leaving the hospital with George that she was almost radiating joy, and she was very subdued leaving with Charlotte.

      I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some truth to this article, that the Queen has recognized that Kate is having issues, and is spending more time with her.

      1. I think you’re right, Francesca. Kate has always been a very expressive person, and EVERYTHING shows on her face (she’d be a terrible poker player!). Something is definitely off, she looks strained and unsure, most of the time. The carefree grin has been looking forced since before Charlotte was born.
        I know she lives the high life with nothing but help at her fingertips (this has been a topic for debate on the blog many times), but she is a fellow human being (living in a fish bowl, mind you!) and you can’t judge happiness and health and home life by money in the bank. We are all susceptible, and I hope she gets the help she needs, especially being the mother of two tiny children.

        1. I agree Ray. I think she’s depressed or has some other psychiatric disorder. Being Willy’s wife must be exhausting. We can only speculate but he’s been lip-read in public calling her various names when she does something wrong. I doubt Willy’s just petulant with the press! I agree with Francesca, I think it’s a combination of Willy, post partum depression and the constant stress and publicity of her role. But if she’s looking for sympathy, I have the world’s smallest string instrument to play for her. The woman stalked Willy for 10 years. She gets what she deserves.

          1. Seth, I could not agree more. She had 10 years to prep. Ignore emulating Diana. Study HM. I’mean sure HM has some boring and mundane engagements, but you would never know.

            She’s sold her soul to the Devil and it’s her time to dance. Her idea if heaven has turned into her personal hell.

          2. Seth did you really hear such speculation that he calls her names when she does something wrong? Is that possible? Who would do such a horrible thing in public?

          3. The video of the Diamond Jubilee Thames River Pageant. At the time mark when the Duchess tried to step off during the Diamond Jubilee Flotilla, ahead of Charles and Camilla, William muttered a reference to a female dog, pointed at the stairs and said ‘See those stairs? You go down there.” You have to watch the video very carefully and focus on William’s mouth as it moves.

      2. Couldn’t agree more Francesca. Her eyes are vacant. Bags and the dark kohl eyeliner notwithstanding, I think something bad could be going on. She seems as if she is struggling with depression, and so many of us here know what’s that like. What if Wills is being cruel to her like Charles was at times to Diana?

        1. I don’t know if you can really compare the two. Diana was a 20-year-old girl whose life experience was as a nanny and kindergarten assistant who had failed all of her O-levels twice, studied as a ballerina and briefly at a Swiss finishing school and enjoyed listening to Michael Jackson and Madonna on her Walkman. Charles was a 33-year-old man with an undergraduate degree from Trinity College, Cambridge, who enjoyed long philosophical discussions with Laurens van der Post and listens to Bach and Hubert Parry. I don’t think Charles was necessarily cruel as much as cold and selfish, since as a 33-year-old, he was rather set in his ways. I think Will’s behavior toward Kate seems different. Emotionally abusive.

          1. I’m not sure if I’m prepared to go that far, Seth. Admittedly, I’m really not sure what to make of W&K’s relationship. He certainly doesn’t seem to cherish her for herself but enjoys her for her family connections. We know she had her eye on the title and the prestige as much (more?) than the man. But emotionally abusive… I’m not sure there are really grounds for that at this time, especially given the gravity of the term.

          2. There have been enough signs over the last six months or so that in my opinion there is some level of emotional abuse going on. Perhaps everything is hunky dory. We aren’t likely to know. But that’s what I’ve written and that’s my opinion. 🙂

          3. There has also been a lot of talk through the years that she isn’t exactly the nicest person on the planet. Guard fired for saying it. Bullying Beatrice and Eugenie. Referred to as “prickly” in many press articles. I don’t think either of them are easy to live with.

      3. I know there were rumblings that her parents were having problems. I wonder if that could be it. And also the family party business. I checked their rankings on Alexa and they aren’t as high as one would expect from an Internet only business. Other UK party websites had higher rankings.

        When there is something going on within my family, it’s basically written all over my face.

        1. I agree with Seth, there is something going on with the two of them. They do not seem to be happy at all when they are together. Even at the hospital after Charlotte was born there was something a bit off. I want to feel sorry for Kate but I can’t, she knew exactly what she was getting into and she waited or 10 years for the Blue Ring of Doom. I think that Wills is a very obnoxious person and I get the feeling that he would be a nightmare to live with and that Kate has to tread on egg shells around him. I pity the two kids, not Kate.

          1. I actually disagree a bit. Kate may not have fully known what she was getting in to. William most likely sold her a bill of goods that turned out not to be what she got. I could see how she may not have known how the RF would treat her, how the grey men would treat her. I think most of Kate’s problems are either caused or exacerbated by Kate herself, but at the same time I can see how she may not have fully known what she was getting in to.

          2. KMR, I think a big part of that problem should fall on William. He kept her away from his family so she didn’t really get to know them or their personalities or how things work a bit before the engagement. I also place some of the blame on her. She should have wondered why she wasn’t meeting the family instead of just going along with William’s rules. Who knows what he told her about his family and the work they were expected to do (other than we’re not doing it) and now she’s being expected to perform and it is seriously rattling her.

          3. We’re just going to have to disagree on this, KMR. 🙂 Kate could have just read “Diana: Her True Story” or watched “The Windsors: A Royal Family” to know how the grey men of the Palace operate. The individuals may change but the Establishment in Britain ALWAYS marches on. It’s what Diana and Fergie never got about being royals. No one gave a damn who they were as individuals. It was who they were as the Princess of Wales and Duchess of York. Pegs in a hole to fill a spot. After ten years, if Kate couldn’t figure it out (and considerably manipulating the situation herself with Carole’s help) I do not sympathize with her.
            Remember, William’s idea was also that he could play at being a soldier or an air pilot for the next 20 years and live a lord-of-the-manor lifestyle on the taxpayer’s dime without stepping up to his royal responsibilities.
            Best always,
            Seth

          4. But that’s the thing, Seth. No matter what books Kate read, William sold her a bill of goods that he wasn’t able to pay up on.

  30. KMR I very much hope you will cover today’s event at Lancaster House – I am so curious what our ladies would tell about Kate’s appearance that morning. I guess it will be plenty to say …

  31. I really disliked the Dolce maroon colored lacy dress that Kate wore for the Lancaster House meet today. Unattractive on her and not suitable for daytime wear. Will she ever get her wardrobe right?

    1. When I saw the pictures from todays visit I wondered if she was thinking it’s 5 o’clock somewhere and was hoping for an open bar

      1. I agree that purple lace dress is not appropriate for day. While it may be D &G, go on any website and you can find dozens of look a likes for way less. A basic sheath with lace overlay. Why does she always wear things buttoned up to her neck…that dress would have looked better if she had her hair up..but dont get me started on her hair (or that eye makeup). I also think she looks pasty and unhappy, which is making her look old. I think the reality of all these limitations W & K have placed on their personal freedom to avoid the public has just really restricted their lives. They have created their own luxurious prison.

      2. As for her D&G dress I need to say one thing – Why on earth she always choose the same color of clutch and pumps like her outfit? If she wears gray she has gray pumps, if she wears navy blue she has navy pumps etc…. Today she chose burgundy cocktail dress on morning engagement (mistake #1) then she accessorized that dress with pumps and clutch in slightly different shade of burgundy (mistake #2) and seriously cocktail lace dress and rainy morning without any coat does sound proper and elegant to you?

        1. Yah it sounds straight up like a dumb outfit choice to me. Even this morning when the article first came out on DM online, there was criticism from the British people right away on her poor evening cocktail dress for an early morning event wear. Lol! A lot of people in the UK hate her, a lot!

        3. this is something i noticed several time: why on earth does she wear the accessories ( shoes and clutch) having the same color of her outfit? that s a big big mistake!!!!!at least in italy it is a mistake ( i m italian)

          1. Yeah, I think it is a big mistake as well. You can really do a lot with accessories to put a bit of pizazz to an outfit and make an old outfit look new or different.

            I once met Princess Benedikte of Denmark and she had paired a conservative grey suit with fire-engine red shoes and clutch. She looked spectacular!

    2. I must be in the minority, but I really liked it! I thought it went so well with her dark hair. And the eyeliner wasn’t as heavy as normal. Yes it was lace during the day, but for me it somehow seemed to work.

  32. President’s Speech (translated using google translate because I had trouble finding the right words and because I don’t like translating):
    Dear Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,

    Dear Royal Highness Prince Philip,

    Distinguished members of the royal family,

    Ladies and gentlemen, friends:

    Very pleased to be invited to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s state visit to Britain. On this occasion I would like to congratulate the Queen became the longest reigning British monarch. I would also like on behalf of my wife and all the members of the Chinese delegation, to Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness Prince Philip and British friends for their hospitality and thoughtful arrangements, to express my heartfelt thanks!

    China and Britain are the outstanding representatives of the two great civilizations of East and West, the two countries are far apart geographically, but has influence each other. Chinese Confucianism, Taoism and the four great inventions in the history of British culture and science and technology development has left an indelible mark, “The Wealth of Nations”, “Evolution and Ethics” and other British classics in modern China was opened up new intellectual horizons. Chinese silk and porcelain was once so charmed the whole of England, the Industrial Revolution began in England makes the world’s silk industry and Porcelain reborn. Chinese tea to British life to add a lot of elegance, the British ingenuity to be modulated into English tea. English Ming exchanges and mutual learning not only enrich their civilization achievements, promoting social progress, but also for the development of human society has made outstanding contributions.

    “Uniwill who are not as far to the mountain and sea.” This year is the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese War and the World Anti-Fascist War, as World War II allies, Britain and China to uphold justice and fight side by side for the World Anti-Fascist War and the establishment of the United Nations at the core of the post-war international order to make a significant contribution.

    As World War II allies, the British people support each other, solidarity, friendship and Britain wrote a history of the story. We will not forget, Britain had provided China with valuable economic and moral assistance. A Chinese name is called Hogg of the British reporter, the Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese War and actively participate, not just the author to expose the atrocities Japanese aggressors, also served as Shaanxi Shuangshipu Bailie School, to lead students to transfer to safer areas paid a young life. During World War II, China Zhoushan fishermen risked their lives to rescue the Japanese “Lisbon Maru” hundreds of British prisoners of war. Chinese and British people in the war forged a friendship never fade, become a valuable asset in bilateral relations.

    Since the founding of New China, opened a new chapter in Sino-British relations. Britain took the lead in the Western powers recognize People’s Republic of China. October 1986, Her Majesty and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, a successful state visit to China, has become a story in the history of bilateral relations. In 1997, the British and Chinese reunification creatively solve problems successfully, open a new page in bilateral relations. In 2004, the Sino-British comprehensive strategic partnership. As countries with important influence in the world, Britain and China to maintain good communication and cooperation on many international and regional affairs. Sino-British ties, will benefit both countries, benefiting the world.

    Ladies and gentlemen, friends!

    In today’s world, humans have out of the shadows of war and conflict of the last century, we are into the 21st century of peace, development and cooperation, a new era of win-win. Interdependence, more and more converging interests, is increasingly becoming a common destiny solidarity. This year is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN. As a founding member of the United Nations and the Security Council permanent members, Britain and China together shoulder to promote peace and development of the world’s sacred duty; as an important representative of developed and developing countries, China and Britain are at a critical stage of their development, promoting reform , development and benefit people’s livelihood and arduous tasks.

    Chinese have a saying: “Come and who must not be lost, when also; those who dance and not be lost, the machine also.” Britain also had a famous saying: “A wise man will always seize the opportunity and turn it into a better future. “This year is the second 10 years of the first year of China-UK comprehensive strategic partnership, the two sides should firmly grasp the opportunity to work together before the trip, to jointly open up a better future for bilateral relations.

    Now, I propose:

    British prosperity and its people happiness,

    Sino-British friendship for generations between the two countries and the two peoples,

    To Her Majesty and His Royal Highness Prince Philip’s health,

    Members of the royal family members healthy,

    Friend to all of you health,

    Cheers! (Meaning to Drink, but instead the national anthem or something is played)

    1. Thank you so much for the translation Mri. Google Translate (like other online translators) aren’t perfect but the gist of what the President said, is certainly there. Thanks!

  34. I am clearly NOT an expert on formal wear for men, but did anyone notice the two side by side photos of William and Edward. I think the proportions of Edwards tie looks better than the Mickey Mouse tie worn by Will. Kind of a throwback 1970’s vibe.

  35. I think people are being very harsh saying she looks bored and shows no emotion. I mean it’s a state banquet, the most formal event as it can be, what do you expect her to look? entertained? of course she can’t behave like she’s watching rugby. When you look at everybody else, they all seemed pretty bored…. Moreover she must have been very nervous since this is her first and she wanted to do everything right. I think she looked lovely and behaved like a royal.

    1. I agree, Sue. They all looked bored so I don’t think it’s right to call Kate out and no one else. William looked especially grumpy.

    2. That is why I’ve never said anything about her behavior during the banquet and I think I need to give Kate justice in that case. She acted properly and if she seemed nervous or stiff I can’t blame her – in fact in situation like this I would be terrified too. Can you imagine – your first state banquet, you sitting next to president of China, you must remember entire etiquette (from when to stand up to which glass you supposed to use) and you have one thing in your mind – this is your test and you never, ever can’t let the Queen down. I am sure this is tremendous stress and to be fair as far as I saw, she did everything right. Of course it does not change the fact that in my opinion she has no fashion’s style and in most of her public engagements she acts like some kind of hyperactive, insecure maniac, but this time she did it ok

      1. Sorry people this was not her first state banquet. They attended one in 2013, wearing the same Tiara in a white gown and the look on her face at the back of the Limo said it all – had that “don’t you cross me” look. There were no inside photos of this. Either way, you behave, Her Majesty has never let anyone down, Diana was years younger that kate and she always Sparkled at these events, nervous or not, kate and bill are just wrong for this kind of life. If it were Prince Harry married to a blueblood so to speak – I would bet my life there would be the same kind of grace and dignity that you see from Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

        1. Um, no. Neither William nor Kate has ever attended a State Banquet before this one. Both William and Kate attended a diplomatic reception in 2013 where Kate wore this tiara and a light blue gown.

          1. Greetings Everyone,
            APOLOGIES FOR MAKING THE MISTAKE – Diplomatic Reception instead of State Banquet – either way my comment stands. Middleton is 10 years older than Diana was, supposed to be more mature, had “princess training” so it was raved about, however manages to look bored, not wanting to be there, and with limited interest in much – EUROPEAN ROYALS or those who have married into their families and are now Queens, Mathilde, Rania, Maxima, Letizia and Crown Princess Mary, have worked long and hard, highly educated, highly skilled, 4 or 5 languges under their belt – Kate has not done a thing apart from wait around for 10 years, get bill, have the children and still sorting out Charities which after almost 5 years is pathetic. Diana – hands down worked herself into the ground whatever her faults were. The fact that in bill and kate’s engagement interview she couldn’t care less should have rung warning bells. Prince Charles was right to intervene and bill gave it a go on his own but obviously was looking for a babying/mummy figure. However Prince Harry, he was the one that has learned, he was younger, he obviously had his moments but he is certainly the grown up.

            Again, I APOLOGISE for the error but not the comments. Too many people have given bill and kate a pass for various reasons but in reality they are not natural or comfortable unless they are hidden away, so if they want their hidden world – hide but hand over the throne to someone who cares.

            According to a couple of magazines kate is already gloatingly happy about being Queen since Her Majesty has apparently thrown Charles out of the succession. I hope that is not true.

            I have long been a Royalist, written to Her Majesty several times, Prince Harry, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and the Princess Royal but never ever will I engage in any correspondence with either bill or kate. Their die is cast in the behaviour they have already exhibited. I cannot stand the surly looks, the barely contained disdain on bill’s face when he knows that publicity is required or kate’s fake smug look. My respect goes to those who earn it. Not those who expect it.

            Have a great day/evening where ever you are. Again APOLOGIES.

            kind regards to all.

      2. Yes, nervous, certainly. However, there is preparation that goes into all these events. Does anyone ever offer such lessons in a constructive and caring manner to her?
        Kate has been on the Royal Bandwagon for way too long to be cut too much slack.
        I think she ignores many things she is taught. I also think she does little prepping on her own. I have read many bios of American First Ladies who have gone out of their way to study on their own especially about visiting dignitaries and their nations. These women want to be gracious, warm and knowledgeable. I just don’t think Kate cares. I posted elsewhere on my own feelings that she is very depressed and needs proper guidance and help. I really believe something is very wrong with Kate and nobody seems to be reaching out to assist her. I think Carole can be blamed tremendously for “pimping” her daughter (Too strong a word)? She cares little for her child and cares only about stepping up herself. I am beginning to pity Kate. I just wish she had a stronger inner being, so she could reach out and find the support she seems to need. William does not seem to be helping. Think of the children. Think of your wife, Willliam. I just am seeing things spinning very much out of control.

        1. I wouldn’t go that far, Mary Elizabeth. But definitely Carole is a grubbing social climber. The whole family is. Carole is probably the center of it. She saw Kate as the key to unlock privilege, prestige and power for herself and her family. Now her family tree is intermingled with the top of the top of British society: mother of a future Queen, grandmother of a future King. Which she gets to now shape in her own image. God save us all.

  36. Greetings again everyone,
    Saw it, sick of it, and over it – referring to the headlines “Dazzling Duchess….” well about the only thing that wasn’t about her was the words inbetween about 71 pictures 12 videos, you name it, there it is.

    My FIRST thought was the her Lazinesss has been sitting on her butt going through the photographs of the stunning Crown Princess Mary, Queen Letizia, Queen Mathilde, Queen Rania, Queen Maxima to name but a few who are truly amazing in their own right. These ladies know how to dress and do so impeccably. Middleton is no match and never will be.

    Moving on to the next topic, that lace tablecloth that looked like it was spilt with port wine, beetroot juice or plum sauce was hideous but what is even more obscene is the amount of money which is truly shocking when people are loosing their jobs, the plum table cloth was 1850 pounds, the bespoke evening dress (probably in the thousands of pounds) – and still her laziness made sure that her boredom, and “I want to be anywhere but here” was plastered all over her face like her forced smile. Bill Middleton looked like thunder on both occasions.

    My guess is that Her Majesty wiped the smirks off both of their faces by telling them to get to that banquet or loose their privileged, pampered lifestyle. Considering Bill has not done any work for well over a month now, and soon they will be on holiday.

    The other interesting thing, arrived back from overseas in the early hours of this morning and there was a magazine cover with and article saying Queen Kate (basically kate is going back to Australia and if that was not bad enough – Her Majesty has dumped – yes dumped Prince Charles from the succession in favour of bill and kate middleton). It was a shocker to read. It was in the Australian New Idea by the way. I mentioned it on the Daily Mail website and the comment was removed after it had been posted. So her laziness is moving for once – jumping for joy. And also according to this report Prince Charles is doing his farewell tour to Australia, NZ and the Pacific to say goodbye as he is out of the succession. Check it out – bit of a worry.

    Also – have a bit worry about the DM when you actually comment, with respect, your observation or opinion, they actually remove stuff they don’t want shown, especially if it does not support her laziness, all her worshippers complain then they take down your post. Just because you have not fawned all over her and bill. I am seriously annoyed about this, as I have seen much worse posted and to add insult to injury if you do not agree with the fawning opinion of kate there is shocking abuse hurled at you for having a realistic point. Cannot figure that one out.

    Lastly, ex King Juan Carlos – no words to describe the disgusting comments he made about his exquisite daughter in law Queen Letizia. It was in another DM article about 4 days ago I think.

    Also, it beggars belief that having 10 years to chase Bill, that the lazy kate did not even bother to learn a second language or the 4 or 5 most of the European Royals speak – makes you wonder why on earth William settled for her and I don’t think the love match of the century holds any water. She hung around, Prince Charles tried to give him an out but by then I reckon kate had already babied him enough to keep him tied to her apron strings – now look, a 33 year old woman behaving like a baby, work shy, no real degree i.e. International relations, Banking, Commerce etc and the most she ever says is “amazing and do they still make Faberge eggs” – I rest my case.

    Have a good evening/day wherever you are.

    1. Removing Charles from the Succession isn’t possible without a major change in the law – that would have to go through Parliament. This possibility is, IMO, EXTREMELY UNLIKELY!
      A sovereign can abdicate but removing an heir (the Prince of Wales no less!) from the Succession would be a very difficult and lengthy affair that would involve Parliament.

      I think that William is the one who would like to remove himself from the Succession – if he could keep the lifestyle. Just IMO.

      1. Thank you ArtHistorian. It irritates me to no end to see in these magazine rags in supermarket checkout lines, headlines screaming the Queen bypassing Charles. She CAN’T DO IT PEOPLE. PERIOD. Since the Glorious Revolution of 1688, Parliament has been the ultimate regulator of the succession to the Crown. The Queen has absolutely no power whatsoever in that regard. Like I said in an earlier reply, if that has happened, someone might want to inform the Prince of Wales, David Cameron, Michael Gove, Chris Grayling, Justin Welby and a few other people. Do the newspapers just make this nonsense up wholecloth or do they find a gullible ill-informed servant and buy them lunch for this rubbish?

      2. Yes. I wish the tabloids would quit with the whole “The Queen can just change the order of succession willy nilly” thing. It drives me mad because they clearly know nothing about anything.

  37. I think I must disagree with the description of Kate’s expression as vacant or drugged. Look closely. This is a woman who looks upset at having to get glammed up (with her security blanket hair tucked out of the way) while she’s missing her favorite TV show! Followed by the stunning realization that she’s attending a State Dinner…emphasis on dinner. The deer-in-the-headlights look is her realizing that she will have to eat. In front of people. And cameras. If you look at the set angle of her jaw, you see tension where she’s mentally calculating calories and how much she’s going to have to exercise the Balmoral venison off. Those are deep thoughts indeed.

    Just my tongue-in-cheek thoughts! 🙂

  38. Kate’s very oddly cut dress, the shape of the neckline and sleeves are just weird and out of place. I was thinking, is it possible that by the time Kate ordered this custom made dress she was expecting to wear it with some royal orders pinned and a sash? If those attributes are worn, indeed the upper part of the dress would not look that odd. Wonder if possibly she was given indications that she would be wearing them with her tiara but was told the opposite when the dress was already completed? That may be the reason for her sour face the whole evening. Notice that other senior royals like Duchess of Gloucester were wearing their sashes and orders.

    That, and she realised that she could not chat President’s advisor up by simply asking “how does your wine taste?”. Notice that she tried to make small talk with him then immediately turn her head and the sour face comes up again.

    1. I doubt Kate would have been expecting a sash – because that only comes with something like the Royal Victorian Order or a similar Order. But She was probably expecting to receive the Royal Family Order. That dress looks like it was just screaming for that yellow ribbon.

    1. Greetings again people,
      Totally agree with the succession issue but when I saw it plastered over no less than 5 different magazines I was sick of it.

      As for that Order she was expecting – well that is awarded for hard work, loyalty and service to the Sovereign and Her Majesty is the one who bestows it. Maybe, just maybe, Her Majesty has people monitoring the opinion of the many who recognise kate’s reluctance and perpetual laziness, also her total disrespect to the Sovereign herself which has been on many many occasions. There is no love or closeness there whatsoever – not matter what the tabloids are trying to push down people’s throats.

      As for the food (not eating/or eating it) – the thought ran though my mind that again it was a calorie thing. She hated being pregnant, even if she has two children, hated the weight, micro managed it to the nth degree and made sure everyone saw it. Vanity issues there.

      The other thing she is peeved about is the fact that her parents have not got a title of some sort yet. Stamps her foot – demanding it, but it hasn’t happened – maybe she is waiting for Bill to get on the throne to “get the title” – who knows but either way I will personally never recognise those two as King and Queen of anything, hopefully I am long gone before that mess occurs.

      Many times it has cross my mind whether they actually pay people (children or Charity) to turn up to events that they go to like the trip to the Victory. Does not look like many people are really there, just the angle of the camera. The look on her face, cold harsh eyes – there is a natural coldness, coolness towards people that you see barely contained. Goes with them hiding way in Scotland for the University marriage trap…. all the signs were there and I think Prince Charles saw them. Check out the article in the DM about the royal blue coat she was wearing, some of the photos speak volumes.

      Personally, had I been in kate’s place – I would know where my duty lay – not just to myself, not just to my husband but to the people we serve and we serve at the goodwill of the people. That is a lesson these two flakes have missed and it will cost them dearly. I feel sad that Her Majesty is watching this at this time in her life, yes there maybe heirs but it is the wrong one in the second generation (bill middleton and that is who he has become) – is in line for the throne. Prince Harry has the goods and hopefully when he marries, and if she is true blue blood, a Lady like his mum – even though kate may be of higher rank it will be Harry’s wife that has the real qualities.

      In my opinion the Crown is doomed if it gets as far as bill and kate. Many may disagree but I makes me cringe every time I see these two faking it – they only do the bare minimum (not even that) then scuttle away – ironically which is her favourite term.

      Have a good day/evening everyone.

      Regards

      1. Hey Wildrose,
        If the Midds thought they would be getting a title just b/c their daughter married the GRANDSON of the Queen, they are sadly deluded. The monarch doesn’t hand out titles to the families of every person who marries into the Family. It doesn’t work that way. They have done absolutely nothing in service to the Crown. Part of the issue is, they are commoners with a capital ‘C.’ The Queen Mother’s father became the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Angus (the Crown’s representative in that area) in 1904. He was made a Knight Grand Cross when Elizabeth married Prince Albert in 1923, was made a Knight of the Order of the Thistle in 1928 and the 1st Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (not simply Scotland) to mark his daughter’s coronation as Queen Consort. The Midds were an airline pilot and a stewardess. They have the tacky middle class idea of entitlement without the title. If they do get a peerage, it will be King William V giving it to them to mark his coronation. Not before.

  40. I saw the state departments at Buckingham Palace this summer. I don’t understand how anyone spending their first dinner there could be bored. It’s like living a piece of history that’s almost over. I highly recommend touring the rooms if you ever get the chance. I also got to see the retired royal yacht (now docked in Edinburgh) that Prince Charles and Princess Diana stayed on for their honeymoon. The bed looked horrible, but it was interesting to see the different royal bedrooms.

    In a departure from what seems like most people here, I thought that Kate looked quite beautiful and liked her choice of dress. I doubt she excelled at the small talk but I doubt she said anything damaging or inappropriate either. All in all, I think this is a win for Kate.

    1. Yeah, I would have been looking all around the room at the decorations and everything, if it were me. If I were in her shoes, people probably would have called me out for not paying attention to the speeches.

  41. KMR I know this is your website & I respect your opinion! I do not believe that Will sold KM a bill of goods. PW has his faults & bad habits, like everyone does. KM does not prepare for engagements. The 5 or 10 they were together the duchess did not study writing & giving speech, learning protocol, diplomacy, international relations, researching charities she wanted to support & learning another language. KM has state she does not care what other people think! I do not care if Kate made mistakes & she learned from her mistakes. That would show me an effort kate was making! I get the impression that wants to take & not give! Just my humble opinion.

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