170 thoughts on “Royal Round Up: Sophie, Camilla, Victoria, Sofia, Charlene, Maxima”

1. Thanks for the great round up! It’s nice to see what the other royals are doing. Love the photos of Edward, Sophie and children !

   1. Can I make a comment about the photos of Sophie and her family?
      They are great, I especially love the one with James and his Mum eye to eye! I see they are taken by Mark Cuthbert, he is one of the photographers who has been left in the outer circle by the Cambridges and therefore only able to get photos of their backs on that recent trip to Wales.
      Jason, please take a look at these photos and note that it was not necessary to photoshop anyone in them.

2. Lady Louise is 12 years old. Its time for her to stop dressing like she is 7 and get rid of the tights.

   1. I second this!

   2. I’m probably the odd one out, but I like the tights. You have a life time to dress older. As an adult woman I have such a hard time shopping. Nearly all of the pants are skin tight.

      I have a feeling once she hits her teens she will have a bit more freedom. I find it refreshing to see a ‘tween’ dressed like this. And not geared towards you at all, but I find so many clothes are now too overtly sexualized.

      And off on a tangent. I was grocery shopping today for Christmas. A married man was shopping with his wife and I noticed he turned his head to look at something. I mean he turned it so fast that I thought something was wrong. Turned out he was staring at a young girl in tight jeans. She had to be about only 12-14. I’ve noticed lately how many men stare at women’s bottoms in tight pants. If I had a young daughter, I’d probably do the same as Sophie. You will see in less formal pics she dresses her age.

   3. I agree – because she is tall, she looks odd dressed as a 4 y/o would – almost like she’s playing dress up. Definitely time to dress her age.

      1. She’s 12… not 20, that is the proper way to dress at that age. As ccoop said there’s plenty of time for her to dress as a grown up. 🙂

         1. On the other hand I see where you’re coming from, her mother dresses her terribly.

            1. Sophie came late to the fashion game, I think because she’s thinking about what she needs to do, work, errands and set herself out to be judged by who she is based on values and work-ethic versus toned legs and chic ensemble. However, she’s benefitted by putting some of her intellect on how she presents herself and hopefully, she’ll realize that teaching Louise early how to pull herself together is important skill. Bad habits are hard to break, she doesn’t want Louise roasted like the York girls. But I’m wondering if Louise has allergies. All of my kids have grass allergies, so when I go to the park, the girls always wear tights if in dresses because they break out so badly with rashes. They can’t even wear nylons. So this could be Sophie’s practical motherhood here while trying to keep her daughter in a dress now and then.

            2. I think, like anyone, Sophie has her moments. I will say that she is almost always appropriately dressed for the occasion. Very elegant woman.

            3. Louise should be allowed shoes other than the Mary Janes. Outfit is lovely.

   4. Louise could have chosen to wear tights because it’s cold?

      1. Much more likely. I mean it is December.

   5. I don’t see the problem with the tights. I am sure she is cold and it’s December..What would be a good alternative?

      1. it’s more the whole combo–a different coat and dark tights would be a little more upscale, but I’m personally fine with her outfit. I prefer this to twelve going on twenty.

         1. I agree. I love for girls to dress their age.

3. Thanks, KMR for a great roundup. Sophie and the fam look so natural together. The kids have grown so fast, but they truly look like a loving family. I love Sophie’s coat too; it’s a pretty color on her.

   I like Cam in that color blue, and velvet also looks nice on her. As always, she looks engaged in whatever she does–as does Sophie–which is refreshing.

   I like Sofia and CP together–such a handsome couple. As for Charlene and the skinny jeans, she wears them totally differently than Kate. She is so chic, and her jeans are nicely covered up by that beautiful Akris cape. Kate shows off her body with the skinny jeans, while Charlene doesn’t. I really love the way Charlene dresses.

   I also love, love Queen Max’s dress. The bold colors look great on her. She, of course, can pull a look like this off.

   1. Oh and I like Vic’s ponytail! It’s pretty wavy.

   2. Kate wears them to be casual but always manages to come off as chic and elegant, just like Charlene was trying to do and even if she wears them to show off her body I doubt that Charlene here wasn’t trying to do a bit of show off as well. I really dislike the Monaco Royals, that family ended with Grace Kelly.

      1. I have to disagree here with you Emma, I don’t think Kate looks at all chic or elegant in her skinny jeans. Mostly for two reasons, the skinny jeans she has worn to “working” engagements are ones she has worn lots of times before and have become faded or are much to “casual” looking for the event she is attending; secondly, she almost always pairs them with the Wedges of Doom, which in my opinion look ridiculous. Now to be fair their are times when she could look great in them, she really just needs to accessorize them better and for goodness sakes please make her stop wearing that striped shirt with them.

         1. I have to disagree too 🙂 to me Kate looks great wearing her jeans and I really don’t get why people call the wedges she wore Wedges of Doom. She wore that specific outfit attending sports events and I couldn’t have worn anything better. I hope none of you would have wanted her to walk around in heels at a Volleyball match. If anything the jeans Charlene wore weren’t suitable for this event (then again it was an acceptable casual outfit) but weirdly nobody had anything to say. Lastly I am sadly a fan of the striped shirt, very Coco Chanel. 🙂

            1. Sneakers. Sneakers would have been more appropriate than those wedges. Or even just a smaller wedge, honestly. The reason I call them her Wedges of Doom is because those wedges are so big and clunky – they look like giant hooves at the bottoms of her feet because they are so enormous. There has to be smaller, sleeker wedges out there.

               Re no one saying anything about Charlene’s skinny jeans: I mentioned them in my post specifically because we criticize Kate’s skinny jeans all the time and I wanted someone to call out Charlene for her skinny jeans. So I appreciate your comments, Emma.

            2. Thanks KMR. Anyway I still think that if she had worn sneakers she would have gotten criticized, massively too. And sorry I still like her wedges 🙂

            3. I agree with KMR, smaller wedges would have been great at a sporting event. And I do like striped shirts, have several myself, but my goodness it seems to be the only shirt Kate owns.

               I have to say Thank You Emma, it’s wonderful to be able to have a playful banter back and forth about our disagreements without it turning ugly

            4. Yeah I agree! Although I’m probably the only one on Kate’s side so far :))) let’s see how that turns out

            5. Emma19, a nice pair of trousers styled a la Queen Leti or Princess Mary would have been more appropriate…

            6. But, that’s just my opinion 🙂

         2. She has those boat shoes. Something velvet I think. They’re a nice alternative(I think) to those awful wedges

      2. I think there is a big difference how Charlene styled her skinny jeans vs. how Kate always styles them. For Kate, she leaves very little to the imagination. They are too tight and painted on. Honestly, it has nothing to do with her shoes (the wedges of doom). As for Charlene, you wouldn’t be able to see her wedgie if she had one because she is appropriately covered by a longer jacket/coat similar to how the duchess wears her coat dresses.

         Kate leaves very little the imagination with her skinny jeans; she could pair them with a longer coat like she did a handful of times or a tunic. She could also get ones that are truly skinny jeans rather than jeggings that look painted on which wouldn’t allow you to see her entire lower anatomy ( I don’t really want to see this, thank you very much.)

         It reminds me of the married man who is looking at the 12-14 year old example provided by ccoop above. Kate is asking for attention with her jeans and could wear a nice pair of slacks–which is what Charlene usually does. I think this is the first time I have ever seen Charlene with skinny jeans on. Charlene spares us from wedgie after wedgie with this appropriate outfit covering all of he private anatomy. Kate could actually use Charlene as another role model for fashion and everything else for that matter. She is elegant and chic unlike Kate.

         1. I agree that skin-tight jeans can be trashy when they are tight across your crotch even though it’s covered I still don’t want to see the outline of everything. Tight jeans will never be modest and you’d think modesty would be an essential quality of a princess!

      3. Also, Emma19, you say Charlene is trying to show off, How as her vaginal and butt area is completely covered ? I don’t see it.

         1. Actually Runner I just said that if people accused Kate of trying to show off maybe Charlene wasn’t any different. But I’m partial here given that I hate the Monaco Royals :))

            1. Got it, so it really has nothing to do with how she wore the jeans then (more to do with how you dislike her)…because I thought she was covered up and dressed her jeans totally differently than Kate has in the past (as sprayed on jeans.)

            2. Well yes and no. I mean, I don’t like the family but I also don’t like her style.

            3. Just curious, Emma19, why don’t you like her style?

            4. I’ve seen pictures of her at official events and was not impressed. That’s a socialite not a princess, very big difference. There’s also a big difference between being stylish and pretty. Take Wallis Simpson who was not pretty at all but always looked astonishingly stunning because of her clothes. With Charlene it’s the opposite. I think that people see her as a “style icon” because she is Princess of Monaco and that place wil forever be linked to Grace Kelly who was truly an icon and not because her style is anything but decent looking. Just a quick scroll through the Red Cross Ball pictures confirms that.

            5. I don’t understand what you mean by her dressing like a socialite, not a princess. What do you mean? Just curious as I am trying to understand where you are coming from 🙂

            6. That that Royal Family is kind of passè and today lives thanks to Grace. It’s only a couple of names to add to a party’s guest list just to say “oh the Royals are coming tonight”. And Charlene dresses accordingly. Hasn’t been a Royal Family for a long time, more like a family of extremely rich socialites!

            7. It’s too bad you hate the Monaco royals. I think Charlene dresses far more elegant than Kate, and her shoes are more stylish as well. That’s definitely my opinion.

      4. Many designers Kate wears have shoes that aren’t wedges or heels; I’d be glad to post a link or two for you Emma if you’d like to compare. The wedges show off Kate’s long legs and probably help seeing her in a crowd. They are a low-rent shoe, great for clubbing with friends but Kate’s could get better options with her budget.

         1. Oh no thank you I get where you’re coming from… work has been suffocating these past few weeks and I barely have time to breathe. Thanks again though.

            1. Best wishes and I hope you get a break! I just completed my finals, have last minute shopping and the usual prep, plus a dissertation to write over the holiday. Thank goodness for coffee, dishwashers and Amazon!

      5. Gosh, Emma, it seems like you really dislike Charlene and Diana, such lovely royals. I hope you can see them as human who make mistakes like you and me. I hope you get some peace as they really seem to bother you.

         This is a critical blog of Kate. Though she has a long way to go, we do hope that she can embrace her role over time. I can’t speak for everyone–but, though I am often disappointed by her and Will, I still root for her.

         1. I only dislike them because I have a reason to… it’s easy to dislike the Monaco Royals because their country is a heaven for people who don’t pay taxes and also because of all the rumours about Charlene (that she wanted to flee the day before her wedding but that they took her passport and that’s why she cried the whole time) which makes the family a true fake. And Diana… countless of reasons. But hey, from what I’ve seen, you all don’t go easy on Kate who always looks effortless and beautiful to me so we can all learn different views from each other.

   3. Even when Kate wears her skinny jeans with a coat down to her thighs, people still criticize her. Kate has worn coats longer than Charlene’s poncho with her skinny jeans and gotten criticized.

      1. Yeah, I’m not a fan of the skinny jeans.

      2. As far as I can recall Kate has only done that once and for me my biggest complaint about that outfit wasn’t the skinny jeans as much as the blue corduroy jeans, with the grey business jacket and furry wedge booties just did not go together at all.

         I really wouldn’t mind if Kate wore skinny jeans to an event provided she styled her outfit better than she has in the past. Also, they would need to be a new pair not the faded ones. I could totally see her in a nice pair of skinny black pants, a fun blouse (just not striped :)) paired with a great blazer, scarf and black flats, Very chic but comfortable.

         1. So agreed, Lauri from Ca, a nice pair of skinny black pants or slacks and a blouse…that would spare us of the wedgie. We get it, Kate, you have a nice butt and legs!

            1. Right, IMO the difference between Char and Kate here is Char is going for a fashion look with the cape featured because it’s outsized and the jeans are subtle. Kate is going for showing off her long legs. Fashion is a point of view, versus featured sexy legs.

            2. Yes!

         2. Lauri – this is why I love you. I sartorial choices are so similar.

            1. Awww, you are too sweet Rhiannon! We’ll have so much fun planning your wardrobe when you marry Harry!

            2. Hi Rhiannon and Lauri
               Can I come along and help with the shoe selection?

      3. I love skinny jeans. I wear them almost every day, and I am older than Kate. They are just not flattering/comfortable on some people though, and I guess that’s why they’d be biased against them. You can say a lot about Kate, but find me another example of someone who rocks the jegging better than the Duchess. Not Charlene! And much as I love Max and the Swedish sisters, they wouldn’t be able to pull them off either. Mary and Leti, oh yes.

   4. +1

      1. I think there is a big difference how Charlene styled her skinny jeans vs. how Kate always styles them. For Kate, she leaves very little to the imagination. They are too tight and painted on. Honestly, it has nothing to do with her shoes (the wedges of doom). As for Charlene, you wouldn’t be able to see her wedgie if she had one because she is appropriately covered by a longer jacket/coat similar to how the duchess wears her coat dresses.

         Kate leaves very little the imagination with her skinny jeans; she could pair them with a longer coat like she did a handful of times or a tunic. She could also get ones that are truly skinny jeans rather than jeggings that look painted on which wouldn’t allow you to see her entire lower anatomy ( I don’t really want to see this, thank you very much.)

         It reminds me of the married man who is looking at the 12-14 year old example provided by ccoop above. Kate is asking for attention with her jeans and could wear a nice pair of slacks–which is what Charlene usually does. Charlene spares us from wedgie after wedgie with this appropriate outfit covering all of he private anatomy. Kate could actually use Charlene as another role model for fashion and everything else for that matter. She is elegant and chic unlike Kate.

         1. Different opinions and point of views 😉

            1. Yup. Agreed! 🙂 I just don’t see how Charlene is showing off here, but disagreeing in a nice fashion is what it’s all about!

         2. Sorry but everything Charlene wears looks bad ’cause she always looks so friggin’ miserable!

            1. There is a gulch of difference between the leggings Charlene wore vs Kate’s jeggings/skinny jeans. It all boils down to styling. Whether or not we like Charlene, she wore the leggings with class based on the choice of her top and boots. I have seen skinny jeans worn in fancy restaurants with pizzazz. Sorry but Kate just doesn’t have the stylistic elements and sense to pull a skinny jean look to make it look classy or interesting. Her style is trite, boring, and predictable. And yes, I hate her Stuart Weitzman wedges of doom paired with the skinny jeans—too jarring. And I love Stuart Weitzman shoes and own several pairs. But the wedge and skinny jeans together is plain ghastly!

               Now on to Sophie. There’s a woman who has style. Look at her plain beige coat and how she made it interesting with a scarf and the way she tied the belt. A few well matched accessories here and there can make or break an outfit.

            2. +1

               I agree totally with Yorkie.

               It’s all in the styling plus you need to know when to let go of an item which is passed it’s best (or have a good friend who will tell you).

               I was horrified when Kate turned up at Portsmouth for that America’s Cup event in saggy, old jeggings and dirty boat shoes.

               Whatever Diana did in her private life she was always impeccably dressing when she was working.

               I think Kate should give up the saggy jeggings (which, as someone else said, are too gynaecologically revealing) and if I am to walk the talk then personally I’ll be throwing my elderly trainers, scruffy track pants and faded T shirts… a task for the Christmas-New year break?

4. Great round-up! Just to get it out of the way, I love just about every woman in this round-up.

   There is a wonderful picture of Sophie and James basically nose to nose and looking directly into each others eyes from this same appearance. It’s so nice to see the interaction as we get it so rarely from the BRF.

   I’m a Camilla sugar and proud of it. The past is the past. Let it go and move on. I’ve always thought that children and animals can sense when someone is essentially fake or not a good person and every photo I see of Cam with kids or animals is just full of love and are very open. Was what happened right, no. Truth is that Charles and Diana really shouldn’t have wed, it was basically arranged. He had his faults, she had hers. He had his affairs, she had hers. We can’t go back and change time so let’s just move on from there. Hating and blaming isn’t going to turn back time.

   Any way, Victoria continues to look radiant and I love the pony tail. I can just imagine her saying “enough already I just can’t deal with the bun today” and letting it go. I don’t remember this dress on Kate, but I love it on Vic.

   CP and Sofia receiving the trees didn’t really do anything for me. Where is Sofia hiding that bump? Is she going to be one of those women who doesn’t really show until the last couple of months? One good thing about them alternating years is that next year we’ll get Estelle and maybe the new baby accepting the trees with mom. That will be nice to see.

   I’m also a fan of Charlene’s and I think that since she’s had the twins a burden of some sorts has lifted from her and she’s loving her life. It shows so much in her now and in their relationship. I think they were trying very much to conceive and had some issues. That would bring anyone down. On her skinny jeans, I look at them completely different from Kate’s. As Runner said Kate uses them to show off her body. They were just a part of Charlene’s wardrobe and went well with what she was wearing.

   Max is Max! She’s big, she’s bold, she’s playful and I love it. Not so sure the hat goes with the dress, I think something a little more playful/colorful would have worked better. I mean if you’re going to wear a dress like that go for it and have fun with the accessories.

   Now to wait for the Christmas round up with the famous/infamous walk to church for the BRF. Will we be treated to another hand holding fest by W&K. Is William going to show up for the football match this year or will James sub in his quasi-royal role that William is thrusting upon him? Will the Midds walk with William to church? Will Mike even be there? Are the Midds women going to color coordinate again as they did at the christening. Will this be the last year we see a solo Harry? It’s such a soap opera, I can’t wait.

   1. With my first, I didn’t start really showing until about the 6 month. I’m currently pregnant with my second, and by 10 weeks, out it popped!! Totally surprised me.

      Laughed about your BRF Christmas day soap opera 🙂

   2. Agree. Charlene covered herself well with boots and the jacket. With Kate you can nearly see everything. Love your end part! I wonder if Donna Air is invited to anything they do as a family.

      1. I think Kate sexualises her clothes, especially those jeggings. I have always found them borderline vulgar on her. Charlene looks good especially because she’s wearing something that covers all her bits. I’m not against jeggings at all as I wear them all the time but always with a long top.

         1. Thank you, MaventheFirst and ccoop, that’s exactly the point I was trying to make above. It’s how Kate wears those jeans. She totally sexualizes them. They are vulgar and leaves zero to the imagination. Charlene, on the other hand, covers herself adequately and looks chic.

            1. Exactly!

            2. Agree! With pants that tight, you usually wear something to cover bits and pieces. Not Kate. She wants the world to see. She’s an exhibitionist.

   3. Regarding Diana, you cann’t just simplify her tragedy caused by Camila by saying it was equally her foult as it was Charlse. Diana loved Charles, she was young and innocent and entered this marriage with the best intentions, while Charles deceived her from the beginning by being in the relationship with Camila. If Diana got involved later with other men, it was just motivated by the pain those two cause her.

      1. People, people, please let’s not get into a dust up over Diana and Camilla again. How ever you feel about these two ladies is fine but remember it’s fine too if someone feels differently than you do. The constant back and forth isn’t going to change anyone’s opinion and more than likely will hurt a few feelings. Lastly, KMR dedicates a lot of time and energy into this blog and while she invites all kinds of opinions, we as adults should be able to control ourselves a bit, take a few deep breaths and decide for yourself if replying is the best course of action or will silence reign supreme.

         KMR, I am sorry if I’ve overstepped myself here but the upset we had here a little while ago is still fresh in my mind and I’m sure that everyone here doesn’t want to see that happen again.

         1. Yes! Please!! Thanks Lauri.

         2. Although Diana’s story is a past it can’t be ignored because it has strong implications in the present time and it’s helpful to understand the dynamics in royal family including William and Kate. Camila is basking in the spotlight which was design for Diana and which she ruthlessly took away from her. She wanted it as badly as Kate. Now all they both have to do is to seduce the public. Here Kate is using her sex appeal and Camila old lady charm. Kate’s seductive way which worked with William seem to enrage the public while Camilas more subtle way is more welcoming in comparison.

         3. +1 million, Lauri.

      2. Diana was never as innocent as many people think she was… I’ve read countless of books and seen several interviews and videos regarding her and her life. I may be one of the very few ones but I’ve never ever liked her. Not for one moment. No doubt that she had an enormous impact on people at the time, but it was only because she was the first to stand up for herself (even if she was wrong most of the time). Let’s not forget that shocking interview she had in 1995, she did say some pretty horrible things. If someone of the modern royal family would say or do the things that she said/did at the time they would be buried beneath endless criticism and hate. That’s just my point of view.

         1. I agree with Lauri but I just felt like I needed to tell my opinion :))

         2. Diana was a wonderful humanitarian with a big heart. She made mistakes, sure, but I am not sure how I would have handled what she went through in her marriage.

            1. In this case I really can’t agree… as I previously stated I’ve never liked that woman. Again Runner we seem to have very different opinions but it’s alright :))

            2. Last thing. A lot of women all round the world face this kind of complication in their marriages, it’s the same old love triangle pattern with a few personal twists (every case is somewhat different). The only difference is that she was a Royal so everyone fussed over her because the matter was beneath the public’s eye… so yeah. She went through what sadly most women today go through. Nothing more nothing less. That didn’t make her special. It made her normal.

            3. Can you please mention some of the mistakes Diana apparently did?

            4. @Ale, probably talking to the media about how PC shouldn’t be the future King (Martin Bashir special) and being very open in public with how miserable she was. I agree with you that there isn’t much, although others will criticize. Diana left an amazing legacy. The BRF work hard and their people respect their efforts on multiple fronts. However, Diana was a trailblazer (shaking hands with AIDS patients), and they are rarely liked by the people they are blazing! In this case, the BRF probably rightly felt like they set the tempo and Diana dance to their tune. Diana acted as she felt a royal should, and conflict ensued. Kate marches to the BRF beat so she’s accepted. No one expects Kate to be Diana, but we’d like to see more of who she is and not a pose-me Barbie. Hence the critique, but it’s future-based, not going back in time to a woman who deserves to respectfully rest.

            5. I really wouldn’t know where to start, but I can assure you there’s plenty of material. Try reading something about it in books and biographies… also what Sunny said is correct.

         3. Thanks Emma19. I think we all agree that we appreciate KMR’s candid coverage of the BRF and respect for Cam’s work. Diana was an amazing person, but we have to deal with today’s problems, and Cam’s doing what she can. I respect that. So Diana rests in love and peace, while Cam knows that people appreciate her efforts. Enough said!

            1. Well said!

            2. I totally agree.

            3. Not the point I was trying to make but let’s just leave it at that.

            4. I have to agree with Emma19 vis a vis Diana.

               I give Diana props for her work ethic, but she was a mess on the personal front, and messed with people all the time, right from childhood.

               The best thing that happened to her reputation is that she died.

               As callous as that sounds, it’s the truth. We are left with the glow of saint Diana and her bad deeds recede into the background as happens with all dead people.

               THIS is a blog about Kate, but if you wish to see how Diana influences it, and in a bad way, look to William. His personal traits such as extreme need for privacy, his paranoia, his mistrust of people were all amplified by the example of his mother.

               Her emotional abuse of him as a child has led to his current emotional state.

               And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

               People forget that her office was called the revolving door office for the sheer numbers of employed and sacked staff going through there.

               The constant need for attention whether that was from her husband or the public to extent that she would deliberately sabotage the other royals, not just her husband.

               Where her marriage is concerned, she wasn’t an innocent.

               She pretended to love country pursuits and made herself appear the perfect candidate for Charles such that entire royal family was taken in.

               And she did pursue PRINCE Charles. She grew up around the royals, her own sister had dated Charles, so it’s highly revisionist to say she knew nothing about a badly kept a secret as Camilla and that she didn’t know what sort of character Charles was.

               Then again, she’d spent a lifetime, upto that point reading and absorbing Barbara Cartland novels, all about Princes and being rescued by them. Those novels were her blueprint for how love was supposed to be. And to be presented with a real life Prince……

               We often talk about how Kate pursued William. We dismiss any problems Kate may be facing in her relationship with William because we keep saying that she pursued him and knew what she was doing, and completely ignore that Diana did the same.

               The difference is that if Kate were to tell all, and confirm all we suspect of William, we’d be just as turned off by William and start to say that Kate was a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter.

               And Diana may have been a baby when she married, but her mean, snobby streak was established a long time ago. Google Riane Spencer. Her step mother, who Diana gleefully recounted being nasty to.

               Google the lady that Diana was a nanny for. Diana couldn’t wait to show her that whilst she was merely a nanny at that point, Diana was a titled lady with a coutts (millionaire’s bank) account to boot.

               There are many examples to give that show Diana wasn’t the saint or wide eyed innocent that people think she was, but as Emma19 pointed out,Diana told her (not entirely truthful) story and she was a media manipulator and best of all she’s dead and we mustn’t speak i’ll of the dead.

            5. “Best of all she’s dead…” Herazeus, I’d appreciate you stop right here. That’s an ugly line to be celebrating a woman being killed. I asked nicely Enough Said for a reason. This is a polite blog, there are other places you are welcome to take your Diana-hate to. Most of us here respect the memory of her work and focus on the now. We don’t appreciate people coming here trying to cause arguments because they don’t like this blog and see it as a threat. W&K’s problems are of their own making–lack of work compared to BRF members 3x their age working 50x more events. That has nothing to do with KMR. So I’m going to say it again, Enough Said.

            6. Sunny,

               I’m not trying to stir the pot here but I did want to point out something. Herazeus has been posting here for quite some time. This isn’t a sudden invasion to attack Diana and the blog. The comments made by Herazeus are quite informative and if you take the time to go through older posts you will see that.

               I appreciate you didn’t care for the comment, that’s allowed. That’s one of the great things about this blog. We can disagree and move on. Herazeus was simply stating a few facts about Diana, maybe there was a better way to say the line you pointed out. I didn’t take it as a an affront to her, but simply that because she is no longer here, some people basically write her up as a saint with one reason being that culturally people tend not to speak ill of the dead (unless they are someone along the lines of a serial killer)

               We all know Diana wasn’t perfect. No human being is, but what I take away from the post is that Diana had her flaws, she brought quite a few of them with her to the marriage and she wasn’t the innocent that some people make her out to be. Just that, nothing else.

               That’s all I’m going to say about it and I’m now going to go play the theme to Frozen and let it go.

            7. @ Lisa, this is not about disliking Herazeus’ comment, and I appreciate her longevity. I tried to write my response to be gentle because I though she may not have read what she wrote, but when someone writes, “best of all she’s dead”–it’s never best when someone dies, especially in a horrific car crash, not to the person, loved ones, or any one else. I have no idea if that was her meaning and if it’s not, that’s why I said let’s just say Enough Said, because I didn’t want there to be any arguing from people who still respect Diana’s memory and others who recriminate her. She’s not here to defend herself, and that’s not the point of this blog. Diana will of course come up and we’ve all shown respect for how we discuss her impact on today. So I clarified, but I’m serious that if someone does truly feel it’s a good thing when someone is dead, that’s completely wrong to say. That’s my opinion, and I’ll understand if KMR thinks I’ve said something wrong.

            8. I was trying to finish editing and it cut me off, so I’ll (re)add, I’m good on my side, I hope you, Herazeus and everyone are well, and that we all have a happy holiday.

            9. @Sunny, no problems here. Everyone have a great holiday!

            10. I probably shouldn’t even step in it at this point, but in the interest of clarifying things, I want to point out that Herazeus said: “The best thing that happened to her reputation is that she died.”

                That is not saying the best thing to happen *to Diana* is that she died, but rather the best thing to happen to *Diana’s reputation* is that she died.

                And as Herazeus said, as callous as that sounds, I actually agree with it. Diana was canonized after her death as “The People’s Princess” and all people want to do now is remember the good parts of her (which is not bad, but we have to recognize that it happens).

                I don’t think any sane person would think the best thing to happen to a person is that they died (unless we are talking about rapists and murderers), but there are times when the best thing to happen to a person’s *reputation* is that they died – either were assassinated or died tragically, most often if they died young.

                I’m thinking of people like JFK, Lincoln, MLK Jr, even as far back as Socrates or Julius Caesar. If a public figure died young or tragically the memory of them often gets whitewashed. People only remember the good parts of those people, when they, like everyone, had both good parts and bad parts to them.

                It isn’t necessarily wrong to only want to remember the good parts of a deceased person, but one has to realize that the memory of the good parts of that person and the actual person (complete with flaws) may be different. And it’s not a bad thing to point out that there are differences there.

                I think if Diana had lived, we would think differently about her. She would have continued her charity work and we would have praised her for it, but she also would have been seen as a whole human being complete with actual flaws that we would think she needed to improve on, rather than people selectively remembering only the good parts of her (even when people admit that Diana had flaws, they do so to boost her appeal, saying that her flaws made her more likable, rather than saying her flaws were flaws that she needed to work on, like we do with Kate and others).

                I think it’s fine for people to want to remember Diana a certain way (I want to remember my deceased grandparents a certain way), but I also think it’s fine for people to point out Diana’s flaws. I think there is room for both here as long as both sides are presented courteously.

                If someone here were to say, “It’s for the best that Diana died” or “best of all Diana’s dead” or “it’s great that Diana died”, that would be absolutely disturbing, but I think commenting on the canonization of Diana due to her premature death (like people have done with JFK, MLK Jr, Socrates) is acceptable.

                Sunny, I don’t think you’ve necessarily said anything wrong and I’m not reprimanding you at all, I’m just trying to clarify some things with this comment.

                Wow, that got long. Sorry about that.

            11. I wouldn’t compare the great Julius Caesar and his accomplishments (who by the way was killed through a plot ordeared by the senators because he basically nullyfied the authority of the Senate and they obviously didn’t take it very well, the people of Roma loved him and frankly his public reputation was impeccable) to Diana, JFK or Lincoln. I’m from Italy and went to a Liceo Classico, I really couldn’t help myself. Anyway KMR thanks sharing your views, I understand what you’re trying to tell us :))

            12. Sorry KMR; I agree that how things are written can come across many ways. I really wanted to respect your support of Cam because I appreciate what she’s doing and while Diana was amazing, it was always well known about her personal flaws, so I didn’t want to go down that road. Cam’s here, she’s doing good, Diana’s at peace and that’s really the point. Thanks for everything you do and wishing you a happy holiday season!

            13. I agree with you, Sunny. What’s past is past. Let sleeping dogs lie. Diana had her problems, but she also had her virtues. Camilla had her problems, but she’s here now and working hard and that’s all we can ask for. I think it’s best to let Diana rest in peace and move on and accept that Camilla is Charles’ wife now and whether we like her or not we have to deal with her.

            14. Thank you, Lisa, for that answer. I feel the same way, and I understood what Herazeus was saying.
                I have been dismayed to notice that there are many new posters on this blog who like to have their opinion, but want (even!) regulars to qualify THEIR opinions, if they don’t line up. It’s an odd tone that the comments have taken in the last little bit. Never used to be that way. If you don’t agree with or like what someone is saying, and literally can’t walk away without putting in your 2 cents, keep it short and sweet. Or really, just scroll past. That’s what I do, because everyone is entitled to their opinion, and if it’s too off the wall, KMR vets it, so leave it to her, please.

                And kudos to Emma19, showing some grace under fire by having to qualify pretty much EVERY opinion she had this post.

            15. Ray thanks for the kudos!

            16. Looking forward to 2016! Scrolling past….

      3. I like both Diana and Camilla. Both made mistakes–but we all have. He who is without sin, cast the first stone. I am sure we have all made mistakes that we are not proud of, so I don’t think it’s fair to judge any of these ladies when we don’t know how we would have reacted in these situations. I do know that both ladies worked hard for the BRF. Diana was a lovely humanitarian with a big heart. Camilla, too, works hard and cares for people, largely under the radar. Thanks, Lauri for the reminder..

         And, thank you, KMR, for this blog where we can express our opinion freely without the fear of being attacked..

         1. Diana had affairs with several men; this makes her the same as Charles and Camilla. All 3 of them are adulterers and therefore all as bad as each other!

            1. Second that R!

            2. That’s what I said above–that they all made mistakes..I never exempted Diana.

5. Aw, the Wessex kids are really cute, they look like nice kids. I’m an ex-nanny, so it’s pretty easy for me to read kids. Probably a bit mischievous, but fun. It’s nice to see them out as a family, although Sophie seems a bit more tense than when she’s doing solo events. Maybe because she was distracted by her kids and wanting them to be happy and behave well. I’m very distracted when I’m caring for my nieces and nephews and I prioritize them, but often have to struggle to focus on grownup-ey activities or events. It’s not easy! As far as Camilla goes, I tend to not judge people for mistakes so many humans make. We have all done things we regret, hurt people and handled things poorly. I love Diana, but I also like Camilla, as she’s shown herself to be a down to earth, warm, caring and hard working Royal. I genuinely think she’s a nice person, despite mistakes and poor choices, and understands the duty and service that come with being a Royal wife. She looked lovely and warm in these pictures and I thought this was a shining event for her. CP Victoria looked so lovely and glowing! Always love to see her and I love that she’s working through her pregnancy. What a lady.And I thought Princess Sofia looked fabulous! Pretty, appropriate and also like she was happy to be there. No fake horse veneer grin or manic clown expressions here! I think Charlene looks a little sad, I huope she isn’t suffering through pp depression. 🙁 And Max! Only she could pull off that crazy outfit. I hate it, but she still manages to look stunning, radiant and queenly.

   1. I don’t think Charlene has PPD because I saw photos of her doing an event with the elderly and she was smiling quite a bit. She might be more comfortable doing events by herself but she didn’t seem unhappy to me at this other event…

      1. It’s possible that that’s just her “resting face.” One of those things where she’s thinking about what she has to do next, wondering if the babies are still sleeping, did the Christmas letters get off…. Charlene has won me over with her obvious love of those babies. I think she had serious doubts about marrying Albert but she’s completely sure about their marriage since the twins. I think the kids have shown Albert to her in a great light with him a hands on dad, and she really committed.

         1. Totally agreed!

6. Love the royal roundups, KMR! Thanks for doing them!

7. It is great to see the Wessex family out together at Ascot. James is a cute lad and Lady Louise has shot up fast and is striking which I think is better than pretty. I think the tights are good for dressing out as a tween. However it will not be long that Louise will have more control over her clothes and I agree it is difficult finding clothes that are comfortable to wear.I bet that coat is warm. Happy Belated birthday Louise and James.
   Victoria’s bump is prominent. I like the blue colouring on Victoria, and her ponytail looks less severe than previous updos. It is good seeing Victoria working so far into her pregnancy. I hope after Christmas Victoria takes it easy as she has worked hard.
   It is good seeing Camilla undertaking work with the children. Camilla does that well. I think Camilla has a strong work ethic I will say that for her.

   I quite like Maxima’s outfit as it is bright and cheery. It’s good to see Maxima support talented artists.
   Thank you for the roundup KMR.

8. Thanks for a wonderful post KMR, it’s always so nice to see what the other royals are up to.

   I am in the ditch the white tights for Louise camp. There are great clothes out there for pre-teens that don’t sexualize them or make them look like adults while at the same time don’t make them look like 4 year olds. Now if wearing these tights is a choice Louise made herself then that’s fine but if Sophie is making her wear them then I think it’s time she stops. By the way, I love how Sophie accessorized today, her scarf and earrings look great with the coat she’s wearing.

   I saw other pictures of Charlene at the palace event for the children and can’t find one where she is smiling, just this closed mouth sort of grimace. I hope she is doing okay, who knows maybe her and Albert just a bit of a dust up and she’s probably not great at hiding her feelings. Anyhow, I love the cape and am really digging her shorter haircut. She has the bone structure to pull it off and with twins this is definitely a wash and go cut.

   Beautiful dress on Camilla, I just wish she’d hadn’t worn black boots with it. As I recall she wore them to death last winter and I’m sincerely hoping she doesn’t this year too.

   Wow, I really don’t like the dress Max is wearing, much too sixties for my taste, but again her clothing choices really reflect her vibrant personality. It’s interesting to me that while I’ll give Max an pass for wearing this…um outfit, I’d probably tear Kate apart for trying the same thing. I wonder if I’m becoming to hyper-critical of Kate and all that she does?

   1. Lauri from Ca I know what you mean. I’m not crazy about this dress but I love Max. She gets a pass from me because Max is Max, and she’s big, bold, and appears to be comfortable in her own skin. Kate is neither. I see Max in this dress and know that she’s being herself amd we’ll see her in something bold again. Kate for the most part is bland in her clothing choices and we know she mugs for the camera to the point of appearing maniacal in order to be the center of attention.. Max is a natural, Kate isn’t and doesn’t seem to try .

      1. Come on, that dress is ugly beyond words… Max is a natural in what? I personally find her loud and definitely not elegant. Way too big hats, kitsch jewelry… I understand statement dressing, but she lacks refinement. And losing a couple of pounds would help too.

         1. Agreed! Have you noticed that terrible H&M dress that Princess Sofia wore? Her lack of taste still lingers… Guess that Valentino jacket was a desperate attempt to style it up a bit… but you must know how to wear a Valentino, otherwise, just go with something else.

         2. I respect that Max is her own person and isn’t trying to lose weight to be a size 0 because who the hell cares? She’s decent, hardworking and truly gets involved with the people. She wears clothes because she likes them, not because of some approval poll, so we know that she doesn’t have the best taste, but she’s honest, and that’s probably the #1 thing about this blog that we all like, say and respect. But it has to be backed up with facts, not rabid cupidity. There’s an uptick lately of those that would probably like to see this blog go away. It must have hit a nerve. But the truth is W&K are getting called out for their own choices; this blog isn’t responsible for their actions.

            1. I respect your opinion but don’t you think it’s quite ironic that everyone is so quick to judge Kate but when it comes to anyone else there is suddently nothing to say anymore? To me it is.

            2. Take your own comment as an example: you said “she wears clothes because she likes them, not because of some approval poll” isn’t it the same for Kate? Or is she in some way different from the rest of the Royals and that’s why she’s so massively criticized? There must be some kind of explanation…

            3. You know I think the main problem with Kate and her fashion is related to her laziness. Is there really anything else to talk about Kate besides what she wears? No. If she actually contributed more to the BRF, we wouldn’t focus so much on her lack of style. The other royals, including Max, actually “work” so we don’t criticize them as much. Articles only focus on “wow, Kate got a haircut” or “wow, look at that coat,” as there is not much else to write about her. You may have not liked Diana, but she worked extraordinarily hard and did so much for humanity, including her beautiful work with those suffering AIDs. I don’t understand your love for Kate as she doesn’t work hard and her only goal in life was to get the big blue sapphire and marry a prince.

               The Duchess of Cambridge attended less than 60 public engagements last year which will be close to the amount of public engagements she had this year, which includes, the birth of her daughter. Her 89-year-old grandmother-in-law attended over 300. Her father-in-law did over 500. Is it too much to ask a grown woman to get off her duff and ‘earn’ her royal privileges, such as three palatal homes, a dozen staff members, luxury cars, etc., as well as her expensive wardrobe?

            4. Also, Kate hardly worked prior to marrying Prince William so she could be on call for him. Her lack of work ethic is a terrible example for little girls everywhere. Her example: just stalk a prince, keep all women away from him, and hang on because no one else will be interested in marrying the man with the wandering eye. The other royals, such as Max, Vic, and even Sofia (she spoke at a global woman’s conference in English, not her native tongue) work hard and take their jobs seriously.

               Who really gives a crap how Sofia wears her Valentino jacket and oh how awful she paired it with that cheap H & M dress? At least, she takes her job more seriously.

               Hopefully, lazy Katie and Willnot will start working harder because HM, Prince Charles, and the older royals won’t live forever. I am not sure fragile Kate will be able to handle 180 or so engagements before she must hide herself away from the plebs…

               WK will probably lead to the downfall of the monarchy because they are allergic to work; most people see how lazy they are–and are no longer in love with them. They better start earning their keep because the peasants won’t put up with them. Unless Harry and his future wife takes over, we could see the end of the monarchy after Prince Charles’ reign.

            5. Hi Emma, I get your perspective; what my point was going to is Max is shorter than Kate, but she’s got great legs and definitely plenty in the bust department. She could wear tops that accentuated her cup size while being *tasteful* but she wears clothes that arguably are ugly and awful, sometimes fun and fabulous. She takes chances. We won’t see her in this dress 15 times. She’s not predictable and her style accentuates her smile which is radiant. Women can use understated and or your face sexuality to get ahead– I’ve worked with women who literally had their assets hanging out of their shirt, and they often get ahead because of it. I respect Max that she’s confident enough in herself to not rely on eight pounds of flesh. A professional stylist to help her reject the awful wouldn’t hurt though.

            6. I get all your perspectives as well, and maybe Kate still has a lot to learn about her role and how to fulfill her position. I just am not too demanding because I can only imagine what it means to live her life but I suppose that there also must be people who are not that accomodating. It wouldn’t be just otherwise.

            7. Ray, let me know if it’s ok to respond to Emma. I’m totally cool with not having her defend every point. I’ve posting here for a year, so I’m not really new, but since you’re the old guard, let me the etiquette, especially since, like the point above where you critiqued me, this is my original point that didn’t get scrolled by. I’M having to respond, often to someone with a pretty intense opposite point of view. I’m fine with that, and that’s what I like about this blog. Emma, top of the morning to you!

            8. Yes, it’s totally unfair that so many British people are unaccommodating (just as you aren’t very accepting of Princess Charlene), Emma, but I find it problematic that Kate never found any interest in working or helping others during the 15 years she was with Will (my, did she have time to figure it out!). Nope, she was scheming with mama Carole on how to get that ring.

               The courtiers have thrown their hands up with her lack of desire to work–and were so embarrassed when she cancelled all those meetings because she just didn’t feel like going (she would rather go shopping, of course. Why help others?!). Wouldn’t you want to make a difference with the platform she has? She can get involved in any charity she pleases–but has no desire to do so to help the suffering. What a sad, empty existence. At least, Diana, with all he flaws, had such a wonderful heart and cared about the suffering, probably because she suffered so much herself. I feel sorry for Kate; for her sad empty existence. All the jewels and clothes in the world, and she has no desire to make a difference in the world. All the cancelled meetings, all the shopping trips made after the stressful one hour charity meetings…What a sad life.

               But who cares about helping the homeless, the mentally ill, those afflicted with AIDS,children who are dying of cancer, when she can rock a coat dress and style, those luscious locks to perfection, right? At least, she can wear a Gucci dress well, unlike poor, unfortunate Sofia in her awful H & M dress and Valentino jacket combo, right?

            9. Hey Runner, I’ve got a table over in the pub’s corner; lets grab our drinks and go play some darts while we trade stories of how special Diana was. She was my hero, in part because she wasn’t perfect–she was real, and all the things she did when the cameras were gone were heartfelt praised by the people there (like the shelter in NY). She could have been so vapid, making excuses for being “thick as a plank” not to do speeches, but she studied and did great. She had an enormous heart and did so much good. Her work helped charities raise Millions of $ to pay for cancer wards and treatments, provide clean water in African villages, help people with AIDS. I know people don’t like her, but she did a hell of job and that is what’s important. I’ll buy the next round. (and Happy Holidays to you).

            10. Again I feel compelled to underline the fact that Diana was such a humanitarian only when photographers were around… but let just let that go given it’s not the subject at hand. You said Kate was with Will for 15 years? 10 years of those she was a private citizen with the right to do whatever she pleased regardless of her private life, maybe you would have acted differently but she chose not to do anything. The other five she had two babies and now she’s doing what she believes it’s okay to do. Is it enough? I don’t keep track of the duties she is required to do or the events she attends so I wouldn’t know. But if you all say it’s not enough maybe with time she will learn how to do better and she will become a splendid Queen one day. I think this is the goal of this blog, to help Kate to improve herself through constructive criticism not hate. She needs both the sugary more Kate-sided comments like mine and the more severe ones like yours to accomplish that. 🙂
                Onto Charlene I already told you how I feel about her and her family so no need to repeat myself. I’ll just add that if the wedding rumours regarding her are true then that’s a real fake.

            11. Sorry Emma, that’s just not true that Diana was only a humanitarian for the cameras. Like I pointed out, the women who worked at the NY shelter were used to visitors who came, did a fly-through and photo-op. Media outlets did take pictures of Diana, but then she had them leave, and only then went and visited some of the more vulnerable residents. There were no cameras allowed when she visited the woman I linked below, and the woman had control of whether to allow the visit or not. Diana didn’t use her situation to highlight herself. She respected privacy, and even the shelter heads referred to Diana in a live interview as a “truly beautiful person.” There is an interview with Henry Street 20 years later where they talk about her visit. However, KMR is focusing on Cam doing great work with sex abuse victims, a tremendously important problem and I strongly support her stepping up for this. Here’s the Diana link http://articles.latimes.com/1989-02-03/news/mn-1886_1_princess-diana-home. Happy Holidays

            12. Sunny–I am in! As for Diana, Emma, she did so much behind doors. She even took her sons to learn about her causes when no one was around. She had a heart like no other. I could search for article upon article discussing the good she did without the cameras–but I don’t need feel the need to. You already have one from Sunny. I don’t have anything to prove to you. We all know Diana had her demons–but she was a special person with a big heart.

                Kate, on the other hand, makes every opportunity to get all the PR exposure she can for every charity outing she makes. She won’t stay past an hour–and Diana would stay for hours. Kate will be late or she will cancel. Do you think this is the makings of a good queen? The gap between the two woman are vast. I don’t think it would even be fair to compare Diana to Kate because Kate just doesn’t have it and is not Diana. There are many stories of Kate’s snobbery; she has no friends either. Prince Henry looked like he wanted to die when he was forced to go to Christmas lunch with HM. There is so much I could go on and on about Kate.

                I do hope she becomes a good queen one day–but I am not holding my breath. I will give her credit for the mini baby steps she makes–when Diana at her age lapped her a million times for all of her work. I don’t hate Kate; I just am really disappointed in her. She has such opportunities to do good and she squanders them. I could link article upon article saying these things–but I don’t think KMR would appreciate it..BTW, she did not have babies for the past five years. She is a patron of approx. five organizations and has hardly done much with these organizations. I believe KMR will actually put these figures together for us at some point so you will see. She had many years prior to her marriage to involve herself with charities when she was with William–but she didn’t. Instead, she was falling outside of clubs drunk with William, vacationing, and shopping. I think vacationing and shopping are her two greatest joys in her life.

                I do hope she “grows” up one day-but at her age I don’t really see that much will happen. She may surprise me–but I highly doubt it. You either care or you don’t–and she doesn’t. It will be fascinating to see what she does in the next 10 years. The fact that we applaud her when she cuts her hair or wears a dress that doesn’t show off her legs is pretty darn pathetic. If you read some of the articles prior to this one, you will see that I have complimented Kate when she wasn’t fake laughing or she showed up on time or wore something that complimented her skin tone.

                Also, I would appreciate you refrain from you disrespectful comments about

            13. I meant to add that I don’t think Kate has emotional intelligence necessary to care–but perhaps, somehow, she will change. It doesn’t happen often at her age–but we will see.

                Lastly, regarding Princess Charlene, I do think she was forced to stay in the country and marry Prince Albert (but I am not totally sure). She found out that he had a child with another woman while she was dating him. How would you feel? He cheated on her! Would you feel the desire to jump in and marry him? Of course, she wanted to escape and had second thoughts. While Kate is someone would allow William to cheat and let him cheat over and over while they were dating (which is well documented), Charlene is not that type of woman. She isn’t fake, sorry. That’s probably why you don’t see her fake smiling because she isn’t fake. That’s also why you probably saw her crying during her wedding; she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to go through with it; I don’t blame her.

                The fakery of Kate’s life is showing up in her face; she looks older and older due to the stress of a life that she probably didn’t realize she signed up for. While Charlene didn’t just want the ring, but a husband who truly loved her, Kate, on the other hand, was totally fine with William cheating on her while they were dating and let’s not forget the infamous trip with his ex-girlfriend Jecca Craig last year sans Kate. Who lets their husband go on a trip with their former ex-girlfriend is beyond me, (especially Jecca whom I think William IMO is still in love with…)?

                Meanwhile, Kate and William have this perfect family and perfect marriage–which we know is far from the truth. No one has a perfect marriage–and yet, they have to project to the entire public how perfect they are. However, it is known that after George was born, Kate hardly saw William. She even said so herself (by mistake) that he was hardly around at one of her charity functions to some random woman…I think they leave largely separate lives. Now, who’s fake?

            14. Lastly, I find it disrespectful calling me a Kate hater and that my perspective is “extreme.” I am merely disappointed. The board specifically says you aren’t supposed to attack one another. I merely present a factual position. What position do you represent by the way? I can’t really seem to figure it out. You seem to love Kate because she dresses pretty and has pretty hair and wears Dolce and Gabbana and Alexander McQueen–and thus, she will be a good queen. Looking pretty doesn’t guarantee a great queen btw. You hate Diana because …she was fake? I mean all that good work was horrible, right and totally fake. Charlene is fake because she got married after finding out that Albert cheated on her just days before she got married. Everyone is fake but Kate, right? That makes perfect sense to me.

                Oh and Sofia is most awful because she paired Valentino with “horrible, horrible” H & M…That is truly tragic, I agree. One must never wear high fashion with H & M….

            15. I think it would be best if we all dropped the subject now. Each side has said their piece and at this point everyone is going around in circles.

                Some people like Diana, some people dislike Diana; some people like Kate, some people dislike Kate; some people like Charlene, some people dislike Charlene; etc for just about every royal.

                All opinions are welcome and it’s perfectly acceptable to state your opinion, and to counter other people’s arguments, but at some point people need to agree to disagree and I think this is it.

                I appreciate the passion on both sides, but it’s time to agree to disagree, and drop the subject. Thank you.

            16. I am sorry to KMR and to everyone I offended. I became way too passionate. Happy Holidays to all and all the best in the New Year.

            17. You did not offend me, Runner. Your comment that you felt disrespected made me want to try to stop the conversation before anything got heated. I did not want it blowing up into a big thing where you all felt attacked and disrespected.

                I’m sorry my comment upset you, Runner. I meant it to try to protect you all from things getting worse. God, I really suck at being a moderator – nothing I say is ever right in these situations.

            18. I was not saying that you are a Kate hater… Sorry if you read it that way. As for Sofia no I do not hate her but judging by her past history I’ve read and seen, she has an extremely long way to go (fashion-wise) I am just not interested that much in her as I am in Kate and the BRF. As for Diana, honestly I wasn’t even born when she was alive and active. All the knowledge I have about her comes from books and videos and the stories that I’ve been told. Okay then. She was an incredible public person. That’s still not enough if you want to be Queen, you have to be impeccable on both sides. That is the reason as to why I said that Kate has a long way to go before she becomes Queen, because she and her family are far from perfect! I know that… I just defend her because I like her and have faith in her. And I can learn from your comments point of views that are different, because when you’re pro-someone you tend to overlook some things this person does because you like it; just like when you’re generally against someone you tend to focus on the bad things this person does. That being said sorry KMR but I needed to justify myself and my opinions.

            19. No, KMR, you are a great moderator! I needed to be stopped. I get far too passionate about things and things can go too far. If anything, you were saving me from myself. Thank you. I should know better about when it’s best to bow out from testy situations–and my anger got the best of me. All the best!!

            20. And Emma19, you are entitled to your opinion. We most certainly disagree and that’s fine. I try to see both the good and bad in people, including Kate. I really try to see the good in her; it’s just really hard for me to see it. But then again, I am very imperfect myself so…who am I to judge. Take care, happy holidays and all the best in the New Year.

   2. Re Camilla’s boots: I think they were appropriate for this event. She was at a horse show and walked around on the dirt arena and in the stables to greet the horses. So boots were appropriate. A heel actually would have been quite terrible to walk in on that arena floor.

      Personally, I hate that dress Max is wearing. No one could pull that off. It’s just a hideous dress. If Kate wore it, I would probably laugh, but it would be great to see her break out of her comfort zone. But I want Kate to dress better than she does, not worse. I genuinely want Kate to be better, so I would not wish this dress on her.

   3. I agree about the white tights. I think it’s the color that I find so childish. Tights are appropriate under dresses and I agree that a 12 year-old is too young for nylons, but what about dark tights or even patterned leggings? Those white tights and Mary Jane shoes look very odd on a tall, leggy tween.

      I don’t mind skinny jeans on anyone really. I think we just get bored seeing Kate on them over and over and over and over again. I think Charlene looks more chic in her outfit. Kate is trying to look young and sporty. Big difference.
      And I know we covered Char’s new haircut in a previous post, but I love it! Again, I think it looks chic and sophisticated. And mature, but not old. Much better than Kate’s mop, but I like Kate’s hair better now that it is shorter.
      Cams looks great in that blue velvet and I love her feeding the horse. Just doing it and not giggling through it or acting scared or being weird about it. Although she did act a bit silly holding that baby koala bear, but that’s a wild animal, not a domestic one. Sorry – just imagining Kate trying to feed a horse and getting all big facial expressions about it all.

      1. Patterned leggings are a good idea. Sophie should try them; who knows-Louise might become a fashionista, and that’s one of the fun aspects of parenting a daughter. My girls and I love window shopping and trying on different outfits.

      2. I agree, the coat with the Peter Pan collar, the white tights and the Mary Jane’s imo is too much of a “little” girl look. On the other hand Louise might not be into fashion and could really care less what’s on her legs, I don’t know.

         1. Who cares about her legs when yet again she looks like she’s come out without brushing her hair!

            1. Yeah, kind of makes me think more and more that Louise simply could care less about all this, as long as her hair is out of her face and she has something on her back she’s good to go.

      3. All I can can about Kate’ skinny jeans is that i’m so relieved she’ settled on dark ones that I actually give her a pass on wearing them.

         It could be worse. She could assault us all with th pink ones or the blue ones that she wore in the run up to the Olympics. THOSE were eyesores, not to mention gynaecological!!!!

9. Wonderful roundup KMR! What a great breakdown of each Royal. I am not sure if you saw it, but Albert and Charlene’s Christmas card with the kids is adorable. I love Charlene’s style. It is sleek and simple. I have looked at those boots and cape and don’t see any alternative outside of the leggings. She is covered and it looks okay. I am not going to jump into the foray about Kate.

   I just have to say that Max is truly the “sun”. Meaning she has a huge personality and can pull anything off. My first instinct was to recoil when I saw that hidjus pattern. But it started to wear on me, maybe because I am tired, and I kinda like it. It is big and bold like her.

   You deserve a wonderful break, KMR.

   To all of my friends here on KMR – Happy Holidays! I love this blog because we have a safe space and have made great connections. Oh, and our blogger who allows this to happen is pretty awesome too.

   1. Happy Holidays to you too Rhiannon! We are all looking forward to seeing your Christmas card next year with Harry. I’m sure you two will have a great one snuggled up by the fire or with the dogs outside in the snow. Hoping you have a wonderful one, and the same to you KMR. Wishing you a fantastic 2016! The holidays often not a time of joy like they should be (I lived that) but by focusing on places and people that appreciate who and what we are makes it pretty ok. All my best.

   2. Happy Holidays to you and your family Rhiannon!!

      1. Happy holidays to KMR, Rhiannon, Lauri from Ca, Tanya S, Seth, Jenny and little Maddie and all of the regulars on the blog!

         Tanya S – I hope the heat isn’t too much where you are and that you are well away from any fires this summer!

         1. Thanks Sunny, Cathy, and Lauri from CA! I hope that you and your families enjoy the day. Jenny needs to provide an update about our sweet Maddie’s first Christmas. I hope that Seth has a peaceful day with his as well.

            Hopefully next year Harry and I will be preparing for our engagement. I’ve got some excellent advisors here. I’ll make sure KMR gets the first scoop on everything.

            1. Harry is supposed to be getting back with Chelsy when she moves back to London to become a jewellery designer (or so I heard)…

            2. There ars several rumours about it but nothing official and reliable just yet. She seems like a pretty nice girl… but I’ve never followed her so who knows.

            3. Where did you hear that Chelsy is going to become a jewelry designer? Did I miss that or do I just not care enough about her to remember? Either way, UGH. I hope the Chelsy-defenders will stop defending her now. They cannot use their go-to of “she’s a lawyer, it was all the press making her look terrible”. She quit being a lawyer after about a year of actual lawyer-ing to on endless vacations, and now apparently she’s becoming a jewelry designer.

            4. Don’t forget her burgeoning career as a DJ.

         2. Happy Holidays to all. KMR. this blog is our gift every day. Thank you.
            Rhiannon, you are a sweetie and we all want to dance at your wedding to PH!
            Lauri, I think about my posture a lot more than I ever did before thanks to you! You are a sunny breath of fresh air on this board.

            Cathy, I love all your posts and wish we lived closer. Would be fun to have a cup of tea with you! Seth, you astonish me with your knowledge, as does ArtHistorian. Seth, I wish your family and you better health during the holidays and in the New Year.

            Lisla, Tanya S., Ray, Sunny, and others who always post and bring such insight and good cheer, I send all my best wishes.

            Happy Holidays and all peaceful and happy wishes for 2016. Love you all.

            Maddie, if she talk, would second my wishes. Instead, she is just giving Mommy a little break and sleeping soundly — which of course means, she will be up late tonight!

            Love to all.

            1. If I left out names, I am sorry, I do wish everyone the joys of the holiday season.
               Mary Elizabeth, I cannot remember if you told me about this blog or if I told you. See you tomorrow.
               Peace on earth, everyone.

            2. Jenny, you are so sweet. Sending love to you and Maddie, and wishing you an amazing holiday! I’m looking forward to spending 2016 with all of you and hearing Maddie’s newest accomplishments. Thank you KMR for hosting such an open, fun, and vibrant place to share!

10. The Wessex children are darling. I see so much of Edward in his young son. Louise is growing into a beautiful young lady.

    Just a thought about the Wessex children style of clothing: either this is Sophie and Edward’s style choices for their children because it is the parents taste, or it may be Sophie and Edward dressing the children in a respectful manner to please HM (especially in public). Sophie is said to be close to HM and may have heard her opinion on how she feels children should dress.

    The kids are growing quickly and their individual style will be seen in the next several years.

11. DM article comments saying Louise may be autistic/asperger’s. Any thoughts anyone? I think maybe aspergers…

    1. I don’t know. I am really hesitant to voice any type of opinion on this matter, because while great strides are being made in the form of acceptance of those who are either autistic or have Aspergers, it still remains a label. It might simply be that Louise simply has passions that have nothing to do with fashion, hairstyles or the like. I have heard that she is quite the horse enthusiast so perhaps that is where all her energy goes to. It could also be that she is simply an “odd” child, when I was growing up my family would refer to anyone who was strange as being “like Lauri” (me),as I’ve always seen the world a bit differently than others.

       1. Yeah, I don’t like to label kids. To me, she’s Louise and that is just fine.

          1. I agree…I don’t see it. She could just be a tomboy. We don’t really know–and to say someone has Aspergers without proof is just plain wrong.

             1. I can’t find the article, can someone please send me the link. I hate to see kids labelled as well, just on what they wear. My four year old had a Diva moment this morning, she thinks that Office works has a dress code which means that she has to wear a Disney Princess outfit to get in. After a few tears she wore a sundress ( we are in Australia) and was fine.

                Maybe Louise likes these outfits or like others have said doesn’t really care what she wears. My Mum fosters two kids and one of them is Louise’s age and he is Autistic . The Autisim spectrem is very broad. I would hate to think that some keyboard warrior ( The DM readers not anyone here) is labelling this kid. She is old enough to read about herself now and it would be cruel to think that a child could see this about themselves.

             2. I did not say she definitely had it; just that it looks like it. I have it myself and I know what to look for okay?

             3. Tanya S
                I had to smile at your 4 year old’s diva moment with her dress code.

       2. R if you care to read my response I didn’t say that anyone here is labelling her, Okay?

       3. Between the outfits and deciding on what doll to take, it is a wonder that I am able to get out of the house at all Cathy LOL.

    2. Louise’s birth was very traumatic, both mother and baby nearly died. Louise has endured a lot of medical procedures in her infancy especially on her eyes.

       Sophie says Louise is completely fine now, but her eyes always elicit comment.

       Putting her in old fashioned clothes probably doesn’t help.

       1. If any of the info I read about Louise’s birth is accurate, it is a great relief both mother and child are alright. I read Sophie lost 9 pints (approx. units) of blood. This much blood loss can lead to a complicated, serious issue with DIC and can end with loss of life.

12. I’m not sure how people on DM could come to that conclusion if they don’t know her. I would safely bet the way she dresses for more public events is entirely up to her mother.

    Through photos, she comes across as such a sweet and very, very shy girl. It could be that she’s shy. She’s also gone through a lot with her eyes.

    1. Sophie Wessex is the patron of the London College of Fashion. To me, that implies Sophie knows about fashion. I’d say, going on girls I know of a similar age to Louise, that Louise picked what she wanted to wear. She could just be wearing what her friends are wearing?

       1. Possibly. I suppose I feel strongly that Sophie feels to keep her children dressed traditionally at public events. I personally like how Louise is dressed. I think Kate will stick to the same traditional somewhat dated dress for her children as well. In certain circles mother’s now want to keep their children dressed in a more traditional manner rather than more modern looks.

          And with skintight jeans and boobs hanging out all over the place with 16-year olds these days, I could see why they would choose to dress like this.

13. Victoria looks great here! Love the pleated dress and her hair like that. As far as Louise and the way she dresses. Nothing I haven’t thought before. It’s been time to dress her a bit differently. Those huge Maryjane’s look terrible with the light tights…

14. Great Round-up, KMR! I loved seeing what everyone has been up to!

    As for skinny jeans, I could care less. I was all about that cape Char had! Loved it!

15. there is no way, you can compare kate middleton style with princess charlene, kate is too safe and boring, and when she wears casual she looks trashy, charlene knows she is a royal, when in casual wear or not, shes miles way better in the fashion department, no comparison at all!!

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