185 thoughts on “Duchess Kate’s “guest editor” stint preview + Pippa Middleton at British Heart Foundation event”

1. the above photo where kate is laughing is really ridiculous and funny, and pippa with her legs crossed, gosh why do these idle righ girls look like they are in their fifties!!!

   1. Yeah, what is with the feet crossed? It looks so staged and hardly natural but it appears to be the **in** in thing with the ‘uppa crust’. In this case it just shows how narly Pippa’s feet look. I think.

      1. They think it makes them thinner; it’s a pose that starlets do, too.

         1. Thanks!! I’m not so sure it works to make them look thinner but it explains the ‘trend’. 🙂

      2. I think it was Alexa Chung who started the posing with your legs crossed thing, now it seems so many are doing it that you look funny if you don’t cross your legs like that?

         1. Ugh Chung. I can’t with her. Maybe she tried to lay claim to blazing that trail, but did not.
            That pose has been going on before her. It slightly twists the body so everything looks thinner and longer by that logic.

            1. Geez, Runaway… a divorce. And unexpected. I hope you are okay and have some great support around you.

         2. I tried that pose once in the privacy of my bedroom and I swear I fell! It’s an utterly ridiculous pose.

            1. I’m with you, Yorkie. I tried that pose just to try it and I had a hard time balancing myself like that. I kept wobbling around. I don’t know how these celebs pose like that and are able to stand still.

   2. I do not think Pippa looks like she’s in her fifties at all. She actually looks amazing at this charity. Her skin and face are glowing and this outfit was on point!

      1. i also thought she looked great. Much more confident and comfortable than Kate.

      2. Pippa does look good I will admit and has a healthy glow but definitely looks in her 30’s due to Sun exposure.

         1. Pippa is 32. So looking like she’s in her 30s makes sense.

            1. I didn’t make my self too clear. LOL. People lately look a lot younger than their age. Am I making any kind of sense here or dug in deeper??

            2. Ah, okay, I understand what you meant. Yeah, a lot of celebs often look younger than their age due to procedures and such. But most of the “normal” people I know look their age (except for the few random 20-something girls who look 12). So I would expect Pippa, who as far as we know does not get a ton of cosmetic procedures done, to look her age.

            3. KMR you are quite the night owl (me too). Yes. But I am not thinking celebrities that look younger than their actual age. Guess I am concerned for Pippa and whatever she does to get her tans. I have admired what she does athletically and her striving for a healthy life style including the nutritional aspects.

               By the way I want to commend you and others on here who have been willing to give us insights into your own personal demons. I too have mine but it is not always easy to give a public confession.

               As you and others have noted Pippa is willing to expose herself to make others aware she is committed to her causes whereas we just are not to sure of whether or not her sister Kate is fully vested. Lead by example seems to be fitting for Pippa.

               It goes without saying yet another extremely interesting post and the discussions that have ensued.

      3. I agree. I love that dress and the red clutch and shoes. She wins hands down over Kate by not looking dowdy. My only issue with Pippa is the orangey-tan. She’s overbaked.

   3. Yeas Kate laughin is very ridiculous, even scaring. I dislike very much when women cross legs when they are being potographed. It is what I call “ballerina pose”. Many female celebrities do this.

2. How much did it cost to set up a fake news room in Diana’s former flat?

   I can understand that, as parents, Will and Kate might be more focused on children’s issues, but the way that quote sounded to me just enhances their flightiness and lack of substance. Do they care passionately about the issue? Then support it – because you care, not because you just have kids. Does this mean that when their children are older they will more on to some other “passionate” area of interest? Will bullying suddenly be the cause de jour because their kids are in school?

   “Being parents dictates what they do” screams lack of overall empathy. You don’t have to be homeless or have been homeless (to take your topic KMR) to have empathy for those who are. Maybe Will is still doing a lot “behind the scenes” at Centerpointe, but it’s not such a big thing now because they have kids so they are all about kids??

   They are as changeable as she always claims George is. I love flowers!! Oh wait- is that a butterfly? I LOVE butterflies! I am all about butterflies! They are all I care about now!

   1. You are so right, Amy. I understand perspectives changing once one becomes a parent, but William and Kate changing their whole focus just because they have kids is a bit much. What it tells me is that they had no definitive passions before they had kids and their entire existence is wrapped up in them being parents.

      1. I think it is more that they never really have any reasons or incentives whatsoever to do anything meaningful. They support the causes out of obligation as royals, not because they care. So whenever they were asked, “why do you support this causes?” they never manage to find believable reasons. Now that they have kids, it was like “oh here is one, because of our kids.” Whenever Kate has nothing intelligence she could speak of, she would be talking about George likes pigeons, or spitfire, or whatever “relevant” to the event. In my view, the kids are mere scapegoats for lack of substance and intelligence. Will did the same when chatting with Obama, which was absolutely ridiculous.

         1. True. They do things because they have to, not because they want to. And George, from the moment of conception, has been their go-to topic.

   2. +1

   3. I was wondering about the set up cost too Amy.
      i would have felt the whole thing was more genuine if Kate had been going to HuffPo’s offices.
      (Sorry but Kate is just making me feel snarky at the mo’)

      1. If they bring the offices to KP, there is less security sweeps/checks involved. Maybe that’s one reason?

         1. I don’t think it has been set up a fake room. From what I’ve noticed on the last documentary William and Harry have transformed their mother’s house into their offices. You can see them walking up the stairs with Ant and Dec and one of the interviews was made in a room there they were photographed with Diana.

         2. I lived in the UK and worked in London at the tail end of the IRA and their bombing campaigns. I did a lot of temping and with every new job there was always a new security system to go through, especially at US companies. I can assure you that the security checks would be as high now as they were then and would be there at the HuffPo offices.

3. This shall be quite interesting.

   The comment from Hull is, as expected, quite nauseating. I’m sure she had nothing to do with it and they’re using her as she is using them. It is symbiotic, folks! I am sure the blog was written by her staff.

   I can’t stand HuffPo, but I so want to watch this trainwreck in progress. It’s sad to me when I think something like this is more amusing than useful, but I do not find Kate’s message useful at all since it is all about her. (And the comments she has made about how mental health starts with only bad parents. Amongst other things. As you all know how that infuriated me.)

   I think that’s a lovely look on Pips, sans the orange skin. She looks happy. Glad to see her do charity work. At this rate she does more than her sister. Ha.

   1. I thought Pippa looked nice in that dress with her hair up. And I liked the red accessories.

      The guest editor thing will certainly be interesting.

      1. I loved her hair! Her dress! All of it. Classy and appropriate. The hairstyle especially was beautiful.

      2. I agree Pippa looks good (if orange) , love her outfit and her genuine smile. Also interesting that she looks comfortable giving a speech. I appreciate she doesn’t have the eyes of the world on her, but there are elements who love to see her screw up, so there’s still pressure. Kate could learn a lot from Pippa about how to give ongoing support to your chosen charity. Hey, just turning up helps.

         1. Kate really should ask for Pippa’s help. It seems like Pippa has no problem with the spotlight and giving speeches and interviews.

            1. Pippa does not have the major problem that Kate has and that’s the accent. Pippa uses her natural accent while Kate uses … well I’m not sure what Kate uses but whatever it is it’s not natural!!

               I’m not a fan of Pippa but she really does seem committed to the British Heart Foundation. She turns up to events and does several fundraising events for it every year. It’s a lot more than Kate does for any of her charities.

            2. I think mama Carole may have pushed the wrong daughter into the royal spotlight. Some have said it is easier for Pippa because she isn’t in the spotlight, but I think she is more savvy and confident than Kate.

            3. Uncle Gary (and people who went to school with the girls) have said that Pippa was the more social and alpha out of the two of them while it was harder for Kate to make friends.

      3. I thought Pippa looked lovelier than I have ever seen her. Particularly in the photo where she is sitting and smiling. She looked like a woman comfortable in her own skin. Unlike Kate who always seems so tense and uncomfortable in more formal poses.

         I refuse to believe Kate wrote anything on her own. Unless, Jason was standing over her shoulder and dictating most of the thoughts that made it to paper.

         As for William and Kate being so enthusiastic about mental health issues in children, I agree that they should be talking about how the issues affect adults and their loves ones, too. In my opinion, the subject is important to them because of their own issues during childhood (and, maybe now). If they admitted that, how important it would be!

         I have suffered from severe anxiety for much of my life and try so hard to keep it under check when dealing with my daughter. I don’t want her to pick up any of my stress. I don’t want to become too worried about her well-being, but at times, I will admit, I think I worry way too much. I try to keep those worries in check, but it’s not easy. Thankfully, I have loving people who support me and am able to speak to healthcare experts when it becomes too difficult.

         My heart goes out to everyone who suffers. So many do and often are silent about it. This is a subject that needs a voice. If Kate could bring a positive, powerful voice to it, wouldn’t that be beneficial! William, too!

         Forgive me for thinking it is just a one-shot deal though. I hope I am wrong.

         1. Well said, jenny.

            1. Thank you, Rhiannon.

            2. Agreed, Agreed, AGREEEEEED, jenny.

         2. Big virtual hug coming your way Jenny.

            I personally don’t think that Kate’s mother was good to her and imo Carole is using Kate to fulfil her dream life, that has got to be abuse?

            1. And, thanks to you, Jamel and you, Cathy.
               Cathy, I agree that Carole used and is still using Kate to fulfill her own dreams. If that has not caused emotional issues to all Carole and Michael’s children, then what would. I just finished posting on the section about Kate’s guest editing gig. What a disappointment to people who were hoping for something far better!

               Best to all!!!!!

   2. Mental illness is a result of bad parenting, so if one has good parents one is fortunate to not be so vulnerable. Is that the gist of what she said, Ellie. I remember being livid at her blabbering on about what superb parents she had and the ‘Leave it to Beaver’ insinuation. Thankfully, this woman/child is seen by most as just ‘playing important and influential person. I am going to wait to say more until I am sure that’s what was said or implied. I absolutely could not bring myself to watch the recent video but I did watch or read about her first foray into her latest ‘keen cause’ and as I said I remember being very very angry. Before I blow a fuse please help me to clarify since I don’t want to waste a blown fuse.

      1. I thought the same thing. If she had such a good childhood and is the product of superb parenting, then why the heck is she so darn lazy? Not to mention: awkward, elitist, ungrateful…

         1. Same Also!
            She came out of the gate with an incorrect stigma/stereotype.
            maybe she will improve. As of now I think she’s getting poor council o. The facts.

         2. +1

4. Also I do hope HuffPo are making use of the duchess. There is no doubt that her name opens doors and no one is likely to refuse to take a call from her. Let’s hope that surrounded by real experts she learns that mental health problems can affect all people , rich and poor, happily married or not, abused or not etc etc. If you have a child with mental health issues how much worse must it be if you think people are gossiping about an unhappy home? She is danger of hindering not helping if she doesn’t correct that message.

   1. So very true, Birdy. Kate could do more damage than good if she is promoting the wrong message about mental health.

      1. Which is what I am afraid of, KMR. That she’ll once again blame poor parenting on poor mental health in children, that if you have great family support you cannot possibly have mental illness!

         1. Agreed. Mental health doesn’t differentiate between class, wealth etc.

      2. I agree KMR and others who say she can do more harm than good, but that would have to mean that people other than ‘sugars’ and what ‘audience’ she has left would listen to her. My anger is very personal, so again I will wait to see if I heard correctly.

      3. I agree.

         KP/Km is also belittling a serious illness to benefit a shallow side of her laziness and PR – she need to should take a good look in the mirror and the contradiction speaking to such a serious issue.

   2. I totally agree.

5. Pippa is a good representative for charities and organizations by showing by her example of being fit through athletic exercise and nutrition. She seems to be a very confident person and it does not surprise me that she is able to carry off a speech. She however seems to live a very carefree life without any type of responsibilities such as a job for one example which might give her an advantage to perfect whatever she so desires. In other words no apparent stresses of life.

   1. Pippa really does practice what she preaches in terms of fitness. She really is athletic and out there doing races and such.

6. Oh, Pippa. Is there noone to tell her to lay off the fake tan/sunbathing?!?! She would look sooooo much better with a more natural skin tone! I feel bad for her, because her skin has to be ruined, at this point, to look like that in her early 30s.

   Other than that, I like her look. I agree with KMR that she seems to be much more comfortable in the spotlight with speeches and such than her sister.

   1. Fake tanning can have terminal consequences: http://www.news.com.au/national/solarium-skin-cancer-victim-dies-from-melanoma/story-e6frfkp9-1111114409318

7. Pippa is now the pretty sister. That’s got to hurt Kates confidence.

   I’m withholding comment on HuffPo until it happens, but I don’t believe Kate will take part in a news conference. Hope I’m proved wrong.

   1. I agree. I think that this sounds like a good itinerary, but let’s see it come to fruition.

   2. You’re absolutely right… Pippa’s good health (not extreme-dieting herself into a rail thin twig) and apparent enthusiasm and passion for living have made her the more beautiful sister.

   3. I guess with the same holidays & genetics, Kates haggard appearance and saggy skin isn’t attributed to sun damage, otherwise Pippa would be suffering similarly.

      Do we therefore assume something else going on with Kate? Is it really just deep unhappiness? I don’t think she puts on much weight in pregnancy to warrant a huge difference in her face afterwards. Most of us gain in pregnancy (I know I did x3).

      1. Smoking also. Maybe dehydration judging from her skin and lips. Smoking causes jowls and terrible skin

         1. I feel like someone would’ve had to catch her smoking at this point if she does…

            1. They have plus, images of cigarette packets in her purse have been captured.

               This is the most well-known one that I’ve seen:

               http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/05_01/kateSMART1805_468x316.jpg

            2. Lindsey
               Fun Fact! Once I started realizing these sites that had her caught with cig or packs on person I bookmarked them. Then when the bookmarks lead to dead links I screen shot them and reposted in a twitter and insta account. I posted and left because i don’t use them for myself. Months later to check in I saw the pics were removed. So, that said it’s tough to find the stuff anymore.

               At other times there are pictures, but they are on very hateful blogs on Kate and I do not wish to promote them. If requested yes, but they are very mean

               Lastly, she was caught looking to be mid drag, with cig in hand before the start of their infamous chateau holiday. It was up for about 6 hours and then scrubbed.

               On top of all of this many people noted around time of engagement she was smoking heavily.
               And post George she was caught with cigs for a time. It’s also known william smokes.

            3. Thanks, Kimothy and Snarker! I have never seen these photos here in the U.S. tabloids but it seems like pretty conclusive evidence. I guess it makes sense why her skin isn’t looking so great..

      2. It’s not just the weight gain during pregnancy – having babies so close together takes a big toll on a woman’s health. Plus, some women do better with pregnancy than others… I’m waiting a few years to see if Kate bounces back before I make a judgement.

         Pippa has no children or husband, so she’s bound to have less stress that her sister. No matter how much help Kate has, it’s still not a bed of roses to have 2 children under 3 years old… and a husband like Will lol

         (But personally, I agree with you, in that I think Kate is an unhappy person.)

         1. Yes, I think you’re right about women having different experiences with pregnancies.

            I had all 3 of my sons within 3y 6m, the first two have the same gap as George and Charlotte. It’s utterly exhausting with no household staff or nannies!!

            1. Oh goodness! I have one nearly 4 year old and I can’t imagine having 2 more, even one more, at this point!!

               Moms like you amaze me. I don’t mean it in a bad way, but in an admiring of way!

            2. Thanks Ellie! It’s bonkers, really, but now they’re older its fab as they’re all very close. My eldest is 16, middle son 15 in May & youngest becomes a teenager next month. Three teenage lads in the house – send help (and air freshener 😉 )

            3. @JL in England

               Hahahaha, 3 teenage boys – wowza! I bet you spend a fortune in food 🙂
               I grew up with my 6 cousins, all boys, and let me tell you, I still think my aunt is a saint. I was lucky, because even though I was like a sister to them, I could just say “see ya!” and go home when the testosterone got to be too much 😉

            4. Liz our food bill is massive! Particularly with my eldest son – he’s 6 foot and I swear has hollow legs. He eats toast like it’s going out of fashion – 6 loaves a week we buy.

               Bless my little babies 🙂

8. While Kate was enjoying privacy in Norfolk her team was most probably working hard. I am convinced she didn’t contribute much to her job as a guest editor. If she will say something at the news conference then somebody has written it down for her. But what really counts is the positive effect that this Huffington Post PR certainly will have on supporting children with mental health problems.

   1. I agree, Carla. I doubt Kate did a ton of work. She wasn’t even in London to work with her office on the project. Unless she did everything over the phone and email (which is possible).

      1. “A ton of work…” KMR that’s very generous – 0 is more like.

         1. I don’t give Kate even 0, I give her -10.

9. I really hope.that Kate doesn’t muck this up. There’s a lot at stake. She needs to stay the course and support this initiative. I’m going to wait and see.

   I’m no fan of Pips, but she is behind her charities 100%. However I feel like I am watching her apply for the role of Mrs.

   Great post, KMR!

   1. I agree Rhiannon.
      My immediate (perverse) thought re. Pippa’s public outings is that she is courting someone (not necessarily James Matthews) or something (public acceptance) in light of her being perceived as addicted to fame and on the prowl for a rich man. I think Kat makes a good point: Pippa has all the time in the world to indulge charity work since she has no financial pressures and no job. Too much time on her hands to spend on being orange.
      Yes, Kate should not muck this one up. Better to let mental health experts take the lead; the best she can offer the cause is a visible platform for the work of others who are truly engaged. If she could show some humility and let attention fall on the issue she will have done a good job, in my opinion. I’d prefer her to say little except to introduce people, adding that these are the people we should all be listening to. If Kate is going to write something, then I hope it will be her own words not ghost written. As a 2:1 degree holder, she should be able to write very well.

      1. To be fair to Pippa there are very many ridiculously wealthy people around whose kids don’t work. It seems to becoming more prevalent in London with the influx of Russians and others. At least Pippa does do charity work, turns up, gives speeches and does all her mega marathon stuff to raise money and awareness. I suspect that is more than many others in similar ‘little rich girl’ positions. I give her credit for that. It’s a pity she doesn’t go out and get a proper job, but there is a suggestion that she is taking the nutrition stuff seriously and working with some top fitness experts , so maybe she is starting to find a real focus. I don’t feel I have much right to criticise her because she is living off her parents not the tax payer, so that is their choice. I wasn’t a fan but she is slowly winning me over. But please ditch the orange!

         1. Of course, there are many idle rich young adults about these days, though unless they do something outrageous we don’t see or hear from them.
            Perhaps I am just being a grumpy bum. What is off-putting about Pippa is that she is photographed continually for someone who does virtually nothing. I’m assuming that this is due to the Middleton hot-line to paps. And it is really, really tiresome having such people thrust in my news feed for no reason other than they hunger for attention. Or think they deserve it. I can’t help but think the charity is a self-serving mechanism to gain a profile.
            On another level, Pippa harnessing her interests to fitness and nutrition is a wise move. I’d imagine she’d be great in this area and wish her every success. She should just get on with it, as well as support whatever organisations she chooses. I don’t need to know her every move. The world will still spin without that knowledge.

      2. +1

         1. +2

10. I apologize beforehand, if this turns into a rant, but the mere mention of Arianna Huffington gets my hackles up. She has made a career by shamelessly exploiting everybody who had the misfortune to come close to her. Her husband, her famous or fabulous acquaintances and connections, and, most bitterly, young talents in journalism that worked their behinds off to write good content and were not paid for the effort. Arianna made millions from other people’s talents. After the Huffington Post has taken off from a blog to an online news site , I think would have been the time to start paying people for their efforts.

    Arianna has once been called a most ruthless, unscrupulous and ambitious person in Washington and this is, indeed, a high bar to cross. ( http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2005/12/huffington200512 )

    Kate Middleton is a publicity stunt for Huffington, nothing else. If some recognition for the cause of mental illness in children comes of it, all the better, but it is not the main motivator. If Kate Middleton’s people knew what’s what, they wouldn’t go near Huffington Post with a ten foot pole.

    I’d suggest a few well placed interviews with one of the BBC morning shows and news shows, a well written article or interview with one of the respected English press outlets, carefully planned fundraising events hauling in the influential and famous, would go farther than this publicity stunt.

    But then, it wouldn’t allow for Kate Middleton to effectively hide herself in a “newsroom” in her own house. As I said before, I suspect something is wrong with the woman, her husband, her marriage, or all of the three and she needs help, rather than scrutiny.

    Flashback: I remember how the Swedish court handled Victoria’s anorexia and gave her all the time she needed to heal. But before the healing there is openness required. Look at Victoria now. That is a woman I can admire, not least, because what she has gone through and achieved.

    1. As the royal reporters heavily implied, a deal was struck, because Huffpo is one of the more notorious websites for running pap photos of celebs and their kids. Plus they were never complimentary of Kate or William.

       Look to positive, fawning coverage from Huffpo as a result of this stunt.

       And in due course we shall find out the details of the deal struck as we did with Sophie and the fake shiekh.

       1. Make that a twenty foot pole then. You don’t deal with Arianna. You’ll get burned.

          1. Huffington Post is privately owned by this Arianna? I hadn’t any idea, I thought it was another sort of ‘rag mag’ or maybe even a legitimate source of news. This certainly puts this interview or column or whatever the dippy duchess is doing in a whole different light. This press conference, if true, is going to be interesting but if the ‘owner and controller’ is in charge wouldn’t any questions put to the air head be pre approved? I have learned something quite interesting today which is one of the reasons I love these down to earth, tell it like it is forums and their posters. Somehow HUFFington seems appropriate given this new info, and I can’t help but think of H.R. Pufnstuf.

             1. The answer to your question is no, Arianna does not privately own the Huffington Post.

                The Huffington Post was founded, in part, by Arianna Huffington in 2005. It was sold to AOL in 2011, and became a publicly traded company in 2012. Arianna is currently the editor-in-chief.

       2. The US site has Kate in the style section pretty much all of the time and always fawns over her. As do the commenters.

          1. Many of my friends, who are longtime royal followers, always tell me how harsh I am on Kate and how wonderful she is blah blah blah……makes me want to vomit.

             And they hate how harsh I am on William too and don’t understand how the only royals I’m sympathetic to are Princesses Beatrice, Eugenie and Masako!

             Sigh…..and groans…..

             1. I think I would be more sympathetic to Kate if she were more open about what she was going through. The women you’ve listed have all been more open about their struggles (Masako with anxiety, Bea and Eug with weight). Being open garners empathy. Kate is hiding away and looking downright haggard whenever she’s in public; obviously, something is wrong. I doubt we would be so hard on her if she would be more transparent.

             2. I would be sympathetic to Kate if she worked more. Same with her husband. Their situation is long on PR and short on meaningful work.

          2. Thanks for the clarification on Huffington Post KMR. **thumbs up** (someday I’m going to take the time to print out the emoticons so I can make them).

11. The whole HuffPost event will be interesting. Will she take questions from reporters? I think someone from HuffPost is going to give a little speech, thank her for her time to bring light to this matter and praise her to the hills while she sits and smiles. She may surprise us by speaking, but considering past behavior if she does I don’t think it will be off the cuff question answering.

    My question is they suddenly became interested in this area because they became parents. Were they seeing something in George that alarmed them and made them want to look into that field? Did they realize that he was such a happy baby they wanted to know why other kids weren’t? It’s just not adding up to me. I still think it was something suggested to her that she has latched on to.

    Either way I’m waiting to see the results of this guest editing.

    On the Pippa front, it’s always been said that Pippa has been the more outgoing, smarter, etc. so it’s not surprising she does all this charity work and gives speeches. Why neither Carole or Pippa aren’t doing what they can to help Kate is this area is what is unbelievable.

12. I agree with everyone here, this guest editing spot will be “interesting”, I’m really curious to see how it will all pan out. As for the news conference, I was rather surprised to see that Kate was taking part in this given her well documented fear of public speaking. I imagine that Jason has found a sympathetic reporter who will lob softball questions to the Duchess, maybe even questions that were vetted prior to the event so the Duchess has some answers at the ready.

    I have to say Kudos to Pippa!! She’s taken the media’s interest in her and used that to shine the light on heart conditions affecting women. I’ve said before that it’s rather sad that I know more about Pippa’s charities than I do about Kate’s. I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Pippa’s (the Paris gun incident) but I think she is trying hard to find her place in the world and she is dedicated to promoting fitness and health, now she just needs to lay off the tanning 🙂

    On a not all together unrelated note, the DM is running articles again about Kate’s use of the royal helicopter while the Queen used the train. Apparently the DM has a big ax to grind with the Duchess, several comments have pointed out that they ran this story already so what are they trying to prove.

    1. The axe they are grinding ie putting a spotlight on is Kate’s profligate use of tax payer money. And it’s the beginning of the media war on the Cambridges. I’ll also mentions the 3 columns that mentioned William’s refusal to attend the BAFTAS.

       With regards to Kate, it’s one thing for the previous article to mention the fact that she took a helicopter. Lots of people may or may not believe it OR may dismiss it as DM made up rumour.

       This article is ‘showing the receipts’ so to speak. No one can say that the story isn’t true when they are looking at pictures of Kate about to board a helicopter of the Queen’s flight though one could argue that photo isn’t time stamped to prove that was the journey.

       It’s similar to what how the media created a negative narrative around Fergie and Harry. Soon even the sugars won’t be able to justify their love because there will be all this pictorial ‘evidence’ of whatever negative narrative the media is spinning around Kate. William is still protected somewhat by Diana mantle which leaves Kate nowhere to hide.

       Her only way out is to become as crafty as William so she isn’t caught out and or simply be visibly working such that the collective public response becomes ‘so what?!’ and a shrug in the same way that has happened for Harry.

       In the space of a week, we’ve had 2 articles on her profligate spending (helicopter), her outdated wardrobe, her overzealous use of the eyebrow pencil. Not to mention the use of unphotoshopped or less photoshopped pics in articles about Kate followed by concern-trolling articles saying she looks haggard. By contrast, other royals are being shown in favourable light. If they keep this up, it won’t take long for Kate to become the most despised royals. This is what happened to Fergie.

       And if the articles on William continue as well, were his negative qualities or refusal to work are belaboured, it will become ugly very, very soon.

       Already many of the comments to the repeated article on Kate’s helicopter flight had comments from people professing to be former fans who said the evidence had convinced them to the other side.

       1. I can’t +1 this enough.

          1. Excellent post

             I think Kate is already the most disliked Royal. Apart from William, I suppose, nobody else comes close. Camilla was once widely disliked but she’s turned it around through hard work & showing herself to be a wonderful partner for Charles. Camilla has never been so popular. Kate has never been so unpopular…even with cute babies to cast their glow onto her.

             1. Cam turned widespread deTh threats into respect over years.
                Kate isn’t even now starting bottom rung. The small amount she has to accomplish to be back on top is minor. That’s how little is done. And what is done is done so poorly IMO.

             2. Camilla had good council or very good instincts on how to improve her public image. With Charles expressing his love for his ‘darling’ wife and a good deal of hard work, Camilla has gained a lot of public support which seems to grow each year.

                Kate is in a safe position for the present, but if things change with William, she may find herself with Fergie as a BFF.

          2. Nor can I. Awesome post with very good insight. I second rhiannon’s 1+ and agree that this was an excellent post. I wonder if anyone from the PR team reads these things. Oh, what am I thinking, even if they put it on a teleprompter for Kate in big letters she would just flash ***the*** ring, flick her hair and show pictures of the children. (as said up thread).

             1. You mean the invisible children? You know they’ll be trotted out when things look bad.

          3. @Rhiannon
             I agree with you 1000%!

       2. +1. Insightful when you start putting the pieces on the board.

       3. I bet the questions will be given to Kate days beforehand so she can practice and memorize her responses. This is not going to be a spontaneous press conference because I can’t quite honestly believe she has the gravitas to expose herself to that.

          I noticed too that DM’s harpoons are out for Kate. The profligate heli rides and Sarah Vine article describing Kate’s dowdy wardrobe, hairstyle, and eyebrow faux pas come from a less than enamored (more like disillusioned) fan base. About time they wake up to the fact that she is the Princess with No Clothes!

          1. And ridiculing Kate’s ineptitude through articles about Pippa too: “I revealed last year that Pippa plans to carve out a new career as a nutritional therapist. She recently studied for a diploma in the subject and has been teaching her sister, the Duchess of Cambridge, how to make smoothies with a high-powered blender.”
             http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3445938/GIRL-TOWN-Pippa-s-got-brand-new-bag-Kate-s-sister-table-talk-health-food-guru.html

             1. All 3 siblings are dilettantes who can’t seem to find their footing in anything.

13. I’ve just read that William attending that funeral last week was counted as an official engagement.

    So Harry in Nottingham time & time again on behalf of the Royal Foundation ISN’T Royal duty, but Williams was??

    Jeeeeeez.

    1. The funeral wasn’t on the online CC.

       1. Lovelolahearts latest blog post was where I read it.

          1. I just checked, you are correct, the Worsley funeral last week did count in the CC because he was there as patron of the Shackleton Solo Expedition:

             11th February 2016
             The Duke of Cambridge
             KENSINGTON PALACE:
             The Duke of Cambridge, Patron, Shackleton Solo Expedition, was present at the Funeral of Mr. Henry Worsley which was held in St. Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge, 32A Wilton Place, London SW1, this afternoon

             Yeah, that is really stupid that this counted for William but Harry’s Nottingham visit didn’t count for Harry. However, funerals have counted in the CC for royals before – even when they weren’t there as “patron” of anything. Which is also stupid.

             1. A funeral counts as an official engagement but visiting flood victims in Nottingham doesn’t?!

                I don’t know whether to face palm or groan.

             2. The Nottingham visit and the flood victims visit were two separate things. The flood victims visit counted as two engagements in the CC. The Nottingham visit, which had no press, did not count.

             3. To quote Homer Simpson: D’oh! 😉

             4. Harry was in Nottingham for, at least, two reasons:

                to visit Full Effect and The Community Recording Studio which he has visited three/four times before: http://mycrarrythings.tumblr.com/post/138661672254

                and to visit Coach Core aprendices:
                http://mycrarrythings.tumblr.com/post/138622921204
                http://mycrarrythings.tumblr.com/post/138746468674

                both these programs are supported by the Royal Foundation, so I have no ideia why is not counted or added to CC.

                So once again Harry is going unofficial work that tremendously benefits “their” foundation, yet is not consider royal duties, but it will serve to uplift the Cambridges’ profile when the end of the year comes…

                PS: We have come to the conclusion that Harry is the one who does the most for the foundation out of the three. Even though the foundation was established in 2009 the only time we got pics of one of the “private” meetings was in 2012 when Harry was too busy fighting in Afghanistan and only the Cambridges went – what a coincidence (sarcasm)

             5. That’s in poor taste. Count itas respect and private time.
                Not work. Paying respects is not work William

14. I hate to be a cynic but I do question Kate’s investment in the issue of mental health. Her one speech on the subject wasn’t very well thought out or formulated. Furthermore, she and her team hasn’t really come out with a clearly defined approach not to mention what exactly they mean when it comes to the blanket description of “children’s mental health”. It is all so very vague and the prolific use of buzzwords doesn’t really illuminate as much as obscure the issue, IMO.

    She and her team ought broaden the scope to mental illness as a whole (not just in children) because then she’d be able to connect it to two other issues that both she and William already have in their portfolio: homelessness and addiction.

    Mental illness, addiction and homelessness is a toxic trifecta that is hard to combat, often because the illness can’t really be treated until the substance abuse stops and the addiction is often what keeps the sufferes on the streets. The problem is also exacerbated because the established health organizations aren’t really geared towards solving such a tangled web of inter-related problems as a whole.

    A recent Danish study revealed that a significant number of substance abusers suffered from some kind of (undiagnosed) mental illness. The substance abuse could then been seen as a kind of self-medication. The problem was that these people couldn’t really get proper psychiatric treatment because the psychiatric hospitals and out-patient organizations aren’t geared towards treating substance abuse – but it is the lack of proper psychiatric treatment that keep the abuse up as self-medication. It is a toxic catch-22 that needs a new angle and new ideas.

    I am also very sceptical as to the collaboration with HuffPo. it really baffled me why KP would chose this particular news outlet. IMO, it would have been better for her to act as the facilitator of a public platform for the experts with the more established and well-respected media outlets in Britain – fx work together with the BBC to have the host a theme day on this issue.

    All in all, if she really wants to make this issue her main cause, and to actually make a difference, then she really needs to change her approach. Just being a patron to a couple of organizations that she visits once in a while, together with a yearly PSA isn’t really enough. She and her team would do well to take a look at CP Mary and her foundation because I think that approach is a much more focused, precisely defined and effective approach to a chosen cause. It took Mary and her team 4 years to get the Mary Foundation up and running, with a lot of fundraising and networking. The do fact-finding trips abroad where she visits organization and programs that can act as inspiration for programs that the foundation want to set up, they organize conferences, etc.
    It is hard work and Kate would have to put in just as many hours and visits, but in front of and behind closed doors, as Mary – and, frankly, I sincerely doubt that Kate has the will to do this.

    1. Re “the blanket description of “children’s mental health”.”

       I was going to mention this on Wednesday. I question what type of mental illness they are referring to when they say this phrase. Mainly because the way Place2Be/Kate talked about mental illness at their conference last year still bugs me. I suffer from depression and my head is not “too full”, it’s that all of my thoughts are negative. There are other illnesses I can see “too full” relating to, but I would really like to know what they mean. I’ve heard “children’s mental health” so much in relation to Kate that it is pure buzzphrase now and means very little to me.

       1. This really bugs me as well. I feel very very strongly about this issue because my mother suffers from a severe mential illness and sadly she belongs to that little percentage that only deteriorates with time, even with treatment. I myself have battled with depression for more than a decade. So this issue is important to me on so many levels.

          Tackling such an important and far reaching subject as mental health requires great focus and precision of language. The is still so much stigma and ignorance alive when it comes to illnesses of the mind that it is crucial to combat this ignorance and prejudice with hard facts. The language needs to be very precise and to the point in order to inform soberly and factually. This is why I detest the use of buzzwords – because they don’t really illuminate but rather become almost empthy signifiers that simply signpost an “interest” in the cause du-jour without commiting any kind of tangible information about the issue.

          The academic in me abhors this kind of approach to any kind of important subject. I’ve noticed that is an approach that is becoming very popular in politics as well where it inarguably is even more dangerous because it is used to placate public opinion but without actually listening to the experts when it comes to defining policy. It is a PR spinning that more often than not tend to obfuscate the issue.

          1. Kate’s entire work with mental illness irks me on a personal, extremely biased level because I have suffered from depression for the last 19 years of my life. I hate her taking any sort of credit for “bringing awareness to mental health” because she isn’t really and she’s putting out bad information.

             I also cannot stand the use of buzzwords because they tell me absolutely nothing. This is a problem I have with many charities – they use buzzwords to describe what they do and how they use the money people donate, which tells me jack about what they actually do for the people the claim to help and how they spend the money people donate. Even Place2Be, on their website, doesn’t tell me what exactly it is that they do for the children who come to them, or how exactly they help them.

             1. This is a pet peeve of mine. Charities that give little answers to where your money is going. How it’s being spent and to what goal. Which is why I love the Prince’s Trust so much as a foundation. You see it.

                I’m sorry to read of your depression. I’ve suffered from an ed since 19 and “major depression” is a factor.
                I know she’s only addressing childhood mental illness, but the message seems wrong. If there’s a message at all past those buzz words.
                I have yet to find it.

                This is her MO. Lots of educating meetings, lots of learning, lots of involvement. And we will never see progress from it.

             2. Mine, too, Runaway. I especially hate when they put out year end accounts of how they spent their money and then those accounts are not informative. It’s like they have something to hide.

                I like knowing exactly where the money is going and how it is spent. This is the reason I don’t donate money to charities, because unless I can verify where my money is going, I’d rather not donate.

                I hope your ed is getting better, Runaway. It can be so hard to overcome an ed. Like with depression, it’s about changing the way you think which is so difficult. How’s the foot?

             3. KMR
                It’s important to know the overhead ratio to actual funds helping the cause.

                And thanks! I need good vibes. Foot is healing, but my husband just asked for a divorce (which I did not see coming at all). If it’s not 1 thing it’s another I guess.

       2. What irked me about Kate’s speech is that happy childhood/family life = happy and mentally healthy adult and unhappy childhood automatically means child will have a mental illness. Um…….but what if the child had a great childhood/upbringing, supportive family and…..something happened while as an adult that triggered something? IE: PTSD. You have men and women who had wonderful upbringings, supportive parents, join the military to fight for and support their country and then WHAM! They develop PTSD or something else along those lines after fighting in a foreign country, after seeing various kinds of horror that they wouldn’t wish on their worst enemy.

          I have a dear friend who now suffers from PTSD and is trying so hard to be as “normal” as possible but he still has to sleep on the couch because he flinches in his sleep so severely (due to the dreams that he has), it could harm his wife and daughters.

          I think the phrasing was insulting to those who were happy-go-lucky children but were dealt with a difficult deck of cards later on in life.

          Is it the parents faults? Nope. In fact, it’s nobody’s fault.

          Also, lets flip the switch: some people in life are dealt with a crap deck of cards early in life. For example, me. I was born incredibly prematurely, had health issues up the wazoo, ended up receiving my life-saving transplant at the age of 16 (if you think being a teenager is hard, try adding transplant on top of it!). Yes, I had my ups and downs (I went through a bout of depression PRE transplant and a good number experienced it post for a variety of reasons) but, for the most part, I’m a relatively healthy, happy, functioning adult. On top of that, there are some transplant friends who were also dealt a bad deck of cards and, due to various issues, have not been able to recover mentally but it’s not automatically due to their childhood. It’s due to how they approached their physical handicaps. Some recovered wonderfully but others are still dealing with the affect of transplant, both mentally and emotionally, many years later. Simply put: transplant is not for wimps.

          OY! I just realized I went way off topic. I apologize. It’s just that this is a touchy subject for me and I don’t like how you-know-who is trying to gloss over mental illness and make it seem like there is a very simple explanation for why it happens to some people and not others. Truth be told, there is no simple reason why people react one way and others another.

          1. To be fair, some personality disorders are rooted in dysfunctional behaviour patterns in families. I know this from experience and dysfunctional familial patterns can be inherited through generations. My mother’s family is a prime example of this.

             What I obejct to in her speech is that it was imprecisely formulated and not well thought through. I think the intention behind the statement was her trying to relate to the subject but it was clumsily executed and the effect was the she implied that bad parenting produce mental illness. That is why I’ve pointed out that precision in language is paramount when dealing with this issue because there are so much ignorance when it comes to mental illness.

             Another problem I have is that she and her team haven’t really been able to communicate what it exactly is that they are targeting. What do her charities actually do? That’s why I think she’s failing to get the message out. She needs to stop being vague and too general but be precise and informative. Real, concrete information, not concerned expressions and vague buzzwords that doesn’t really say anything concrete.

             1. Thank you AH. You worded that better than I could. Sorry for blathering earlier.

             2. No need. It is easy get ranting when it comes to soemthing you have strong feelings about.

             3. “Another problem I have is that she and her team haven’t really been able to communicate what it exactly is that they are targeting. ”

                Yes. They keep saying “children’s mental health” and Kate keeps going on “learning visits” but what exactly is it that Kate is trying to accomplish? Getting people’s attention on children’s mental health is great, but then she needs to actually do something with the attention. She can’t just let it hang there or else it’s just another appearance for her and means nothing.

          2. @Kimothy I think your experiences and how you have grown from and through these experiences makes you a great advocate for child health. Do you work in this area too?

          3. It’s great to hear that you’re doing well, Kimothy, after all you’ve been through with your transplant.

             1. Thank you for your kind words, Cathy and KMR. Actually, I work for the state government haha! I AM an advocate for organ donation awareness though. That’s something I’ll never shut up about. I have plans of (hopefully) creating either a NPO or PAC of my own to help dispel myths regarding transplantation (I get very stabby sometimes at the media when they’re talking about organ transplant or a show that uses it as a story line but botches up all the facts, which misleads the public into thinking the fiction portrayed is fact) OR to provide support for those on the national waiting list or both (no idea how I’d combine the two). 😉

                Can I admit now that there are areas that my own parents flubbed in? Yup! Can I also see in other recipients (both children and adults) where certain things slipped through the cracks? Yes, due to my experiences and exposure to various people and types of transplants.

    2. Beautifully said!

       1. Mental health week been and gone. What did Kate actually DO….absolutely nothing, no visits…she should have been out and about every day showing how KEEN she is to make a difference. One video taken God knows when does not equal keen. She should hide her head in shame. When I read others stories here including our very own KMR Kate makes me so ashamed to be English. Keen, fill my diary but hey don’t ask me to do anything mental health week … Ok I’m ranting now.

15. I guess if Pippa is a socialite she’s at least doing something. I hope she’s using spay on gook to get that tanned look, which I don’t understand but anyway if she’s spending a lot of time on a tanning bed we can expect her next cause to be involving Melanoma. No, I don’t wish that on her or anyone but it happens and it happens to young people. Tanning is dangerous. Pippa did look nice and she does seem comfortable in speaking so if I set aside the ‘Middleton’ factor and just think of her as a ‘rich socialite’ it doesn’t make me as sick seeing her flitting about and her picture all over the place.

    1. Hey royalsareajoke,

       I tested the edit comment button and it worked for me. And I saw that you were able to edit a comment, so it must have been a random error with the plugin.

       As far as signing up to receive comments, you have to sign up for every article whose comments you want to receive. There is no way to sign up for all comments on every article in the future. I hope that solves your problem about why you’re not getting comment emails. As far as getting emails for articles you signed up for, that seems to be working when I tested it.

       1. I’m still not getting updates on comments but I just bookmarked your site. I’m pretty sure it’s something I’m doing wrong but it’s all good. Yes, the error message as far as editing must have been just a fluke. Working now 🙂 Thanks for the follow up!

    2. I posted this further up but yes, tanning beds are incredibly dangerous. http://www.news.com.au/national/solarium-skin-cancer-victim-dies-from-melanoma/story-e6frfkp9-1111114409318
       Apologies for the additional post.

16. It appears KMR that your posts are getting quite popular.

    Heavy Is The Crowns is mentioning this post on it’s site and asking it’s readers what they think of it. This site is definitely not a pro-Kate site so the comments should be interesting.

    Here’s the link,

    http://heavyarethecrowns.tumblr.com/

    1. Thanks Lauri for letting me know. Still not sure if I want to venture over there and read the comments. Anyone willing to let me know an overview of what they’re saying?

       1. You’re looking good. Have faith in yourself KMR !

       2. So far no comments but maybe a dozen people “liked” it. I’m really not internet savvy, especially with tumbler, twitter and such but this site isn’t quite like a blog no back and forth with commenters. I will keep you informed of anything I see there regarding this.

       3. Rachel’s blog is cool. That being said, Tumblr can be a crazy place, and any of the 4000 (give or take) people who follow her can comment in any number of ways – not to mention the ones who reblog to their own followers, and those comments also get grouped in. So these comments aren’t always a reflection of what Rachel’s not-so-pro-Kate readers think. But Rachel tends to be gracious, so you can expect her to be fair, whether or not she agrees with you in the specifics.

          Back to lurking. Which I keep telling myself to do, but I keep getting sucked back in.

          1. Is there any particular reason you think you have to lurk and not comment, melete? I hope we didn’t say anything to scare you off.

             1. Oh, no. Nothing like that. It’s more of a personal thing. I tend to comment so randomly that I don’t contribute much to the greater discussion, and when I do comment I’m such a worry-wart that I’m afraid I’ll unintentionally incite some kind of debate. I’ve always been more of an in-the-background person, so I do better watching and learning from the more knowledgeable commenters here.

             2. Oops, something went wrong when I tried to respond, and I ended up in moderation. Sorry about that. If two responses show up, my apologies. (Shouldn’t have tried to post from a different device.)

       4. The blog-runner agrees with you that adult mental health would be better for Kate esp. to tie in Counterpoint and that a press conference could be interesting.

          1. Thank you for letting me know.

17. Kate’s comment about happy families irked me as well. I have good friends who are fabulous, loving parents. Their only child was diagnosed with schizophrenia after graduating with high honors from college. He is in very rough shape and the stress they’re all going through is tremendous and heartbreaking. This has nothing to do with parenting and it is extremely offensive to suggest that may be the case. It seemed like a bit of a smug statement to me –

    1. So many things can happen to a person post-living with their parents which can cause mental illness. Plus, some things are genetic and no matter what the parents do the children will always suffer due to their genetics – doesn’t mean the parents were bad parents.

       1. You can have a genetic pre-disposition or vulnerability. It doesn’t necessarily mean to you become sick, rather that you are more vulnerable to external stressors (those can be anything: heart break, performace anxiety, drugs, etc.).

          Brain chemistry is a crucial component of mental illness and external stress to a person with a genetic predisposition can trigger changes is brain chemistry. it is a very complicated issue that hasn’t been mapped out entirely because it is difficult to draw a definite boundary betwen nature and nuture.

          An illness like schizophrenia usually manifests in adolescence. My father’s younger brother was diagnosed when 16. I’ve met young people who suffer from psychosis (it can break our and then be dormant to a certain extent with treatment). And they are bravely managing their illness by knowing their symptoms and stressors. You can be a functioning person even with a diagonsis like schizophrenia, especially because the treatment options have become so much better. Furthermore, new research shows that an illness like this doesn’t necessarily have to be a life sentence, especilly if it is treated early and well.

          The whole idea that bad parenting as a cause for mental illness is an extremely old-fashioned one.

18. Minus the Cheetos tan, I thought Pippa looked great! Lovely, appropriate dress with a pair of shoes to jazz up the outfit and the heart purse is a nice touch. Also, she simply looks healthy. Lean, but not to thin, light in her eyes, natural smile, the smile on her face reached her eyes which, IMO, is very important and can tell a lot about how someone is really feeling inside…..

19. As someone who works in a newsroom, I want to share my understanding of a news conference. In the newsrooms I have worked in, it is quite simply a daily meeting between writers and editorial staff, in which the day’s news agenda is set. Writers pitch ideas, ideas that get the go ahead are compared to each other in terms of weight/importance, and space (i.e. page 1 vs page 10), a word count is and internal deadline is agreed upon.

    Obviously, I would like Kate to take on an active role in front of the camera as opposed to “behind the scenes”. But if the news conference is anything like the above, all I see her doing is sitting (probably at the head of the table) and nodding. Given that all the content for which she is “responsible” has already been commissioned, I’m not sure what the point of her being in such a meeting is.

    If she is going to answer questions, that Q&A session would probably have been labeled a press conference. Even if she does answer questions, they’re all like to come from HuffPo staff so chances are she would have approved of them and prepared answers in advance.

    Does anyone know how her engagement will be covered? Apart from the articles, will content such as photographs of her and quotes by her be considered HuffPo exclusives? Have any restrictions been placed on non-HuffPo staff? Have journalists and photographers from other outlets even been invited to document her at work?

    1. “Given that all the content for which she is “responsible” has already been commissioned, I’m not sure what the point of her being in such a meeting is.”

       The point is most likely that she’ll get good PR with the least amount of effort on her part. Yes, I am that cynical when it comes to Kate.

       1. I guess I’d be more onboard with the “Kate is committed to children’s mental health” propaganda if her office had done more than tweet at the beginning and again at the end of the week. They retweeted some of Place2Be’s tweets and that was it. Yep, very very keen on children’s mental health when your own office can’t even tweet anything at all about it!! Nothing on their website either other than a photo of Kate.

          So yes, very cynical.

          1. Very true. KP’s social media people can’t even muster up enough energy to do the cause justice. Kate really needs a better social media person.

             1. The PR and socail media people are awful. They should be adapting to their clients. That IS crisis management. Not claiming (for example) the client didn’t cheat or wasn’t right in what they did, but that they own this and work towards counter efforts.

                They claim Kate works hard. Clearly she does not. So, they need to have her step up in not just lip service parroting what she’s told. Rather see her actively pursue something.

             2. They really are bad at their jobs. They need to find a new strategy because the current “say Kate works hard until the public believes it” one is not working.

       2. I agree. She’s “empty” in my book in more ways than one. She has yet to prove herself and so far I’m not impressed.

    2. Everything you shared in your first paragraph (thank you for that information) should have already been done by the time they do their thing Wednesday. All the articles are written and edited, they just need to be posted online.

       I got excited that there may actually be something to cover with this guest editor thing, but maybe not. Kate’s article, and maybe a photo they release of her there on the day. I as hoping there would be more than that.

       I thought it read like reporters from other papers would be allowed to cover the event, but maybe not. HuffPo/KP will probably just release a photo or two of Kate starting at a reporter.

       1. KMR, could you do an overview of what actually transpires/transpired, articles, who did what (or what is obscure), including a timeline of tweets, where they come from (as you have just said) so that you can calculate all on the ‘keen-o-meter’. Let’s take it as read that there will be mindless frothy fawning from a number of sites. Would be nice to have the nitty gritty beyond the hype.

          1. I will do my best. I was planning on doing an article on just Kate’s writing, then one on her involvement. But I can also do an overview of all the articles that Kate “commissioned”. Or do you mean the articles on various websites about Kate’s guest editor thing?

             The tweets one: how many tweets? Who from? Just from the regular reporters, KP, and HuffPo UK? Or do you want reaction tweets from royal watchers?

             1. We all trust you KMR do what you think is appropriate. You never let us down. You’re going to be busy..or maybe not!

             2. So we’ve already heard that there won’t be much press coverage of her joint engagement with William on the 18th and it seems that there won’t be much to cover at this event either. What exactly are Cambridge’s trying to do? not highlight their charities? freeze out the press? I really don’t understand, can anyone explain this to me?

             3. Your best is pretty damn good so whatever you do will be great. You ask some interesting questions though…
                You mentioned that the KP tweets and build-up to the Big Day were few, with re-tweets, so not a great deal of work done there it would seem yet the PR strategy seems to depend very much on social media. So it’s curious not to exploit this further.
                The online issue content will be written by experts and will be fine. Kate’s own article will be interesting: will it draw on aspects of these articles to help make her points, or use vague and problematic language, like her speech last year?
                How will success of the issue be measured? Number of clicks? Increase in donations to mentioned charities?
                Given the HuffPo is the commissioning source, I wonder whether/how other media outlets will cover the event. They won’t like directing traffic to a competitor but will need to be mentioned.
                What of the press conference? How will Kate handle it? As others have said, given Kate’s skills, she will be heavily prepped with questions kept at a tame level. As Em and India have said, the less Kate does the better; let those who know do their job.
                I guess when you see it all unfold your curiosity and observation will decide your angle.

             4. A job well done KMR! I don’t usually give praises easily but your comments & articles are superb & insightful! However you approach the story about Kate is fine with me. This blog gives me the outlet to vent my frustrations & outrage about the W+K saga. When Kate first came onto the royal scene, I always felt that something is not right with her but so far all the articles about her have been fawning, fawning….until I found your blog. Thanks again. Sorry that I haven’t shown more appreciation towards your blog ‘cos it’s really,really awesome!!!

          2. Hi jen, Hope you are cooler today?
             Now, are you suggesting that we all take a sip every time Kate says keen? (or her staff say keen too?).
             We could all choose our own liquid to sip but perhaps it may be an idea to lay off the gatorade?

             1. The Keen Kate Drinking Game! 😉

             2. If we took a shot every time the word “keen” is mentioned in a Kate article we’d all be sick.

             3. Much cooler today, thanks Cathy. However, the 30+C days will resume at the end of the week, with 40C (104F) predicted on Monday! I’d clutch pearls but they’d get clammy.
                Hmm… what to drink? Given the keenness to use keen we’d all better stay away from the hard stuff.

    3. Em
       I always like to do my own research instead of taking what i’m told or read at face value.
       That said I agree with you. If this was a true meeting as lead to believe/allude to she had no purpose to be there. Nothing to learn or participate in of value. At best she would do what is considered “job shadowing” imo.

       Now, if she did attend I suspect it was just to have her there and feel involved.

       This is all 2 things/ Publicity and publicty. For Kate and for HuffPo.
       I do wonder if she’s actually learning about this complex and delicate issue. It she’s developing a passsion for it. I hope so. With Mental health week coming and going and only a tweet I’m skeptical.

20. This guest editor spot for the Huffington Post is going to work no matter how much time Kate spends on it because we are going to look and the issue will be in the spotlight in the press.

    The less time Kate spends the better because the professionals will be in charge.

    1. The thing that gets me. Reality stars can be guest editors. It’s only to attach a high proflle name. Not that they actually do much of anything.

       If nothing else I hope light is shined on this cause. Not to promote herself, but to promote the issue.

       1. I hope it promotes the issue too.

21. There is a phrase from that newspaper article which really bugs me,
    “The Huffington Post approached Kensington Palace last year to ask whether Kate would work with it to highlight children’s mental health.”
    Please help me here, are they implying that Huffington Post is behind Kate’s “keen” interest in children’s mental health? I had thought Kate had gotten involved because she saw a need to shine a light on it.
    Am I reading this all wrong?

    1. No, you’re right. A PR opportunity was taken. It will backfire unless Kate is actually sparking a passion for this.
       This is far too complicated and delicate an issue for a pr tool. Too many suffer and suffer in silence. Unaware of their conditions.

    2. I read it as:

       HuffPo wanted to do a children’s mental health thing, they saw last fall that Kate was on a children’s mental health kick (which, in my opinion, had a soft start in Feb 2015 with her CMH week video, then picked up in September 2015) and approached KP was all “Yo, you want to focus on children’s mental health, we got a children’s mental health thing, help us promote it, we all win”.

       So HuffPo approached Kate/KP to promote children’s mental health with them because they both were on a children’s mental health kick. At least that’s how I read it.

       1. So, vulnerable people are just a vehicle for PR purposes: how abusive.

          1. Jen,

             Yes, this seems to be the plan where Kate is concerned- use the voiceless and helpless- children, and those who are desperately ill physically or mentally/emotionally. The ultimate manipulation is using ill children- it doesn’t get any baser than that.

             1. No, it doesn’t. Kate has such a patchy work record that it is nerve-wracking to think what will become of the mental health thrust in her hands. If it is just for show, I wish she and her team + HuffPo would get lost and stick to waving in carriages. If she’s serious and gets stuck in with substantial contributions, she will earn respect.

       2. I see it as a flash in the pan, a celebrity cause du jour- clickbait. I think it will do nothing but raise the profile of the Duchess of Keen for a brief moment, and keep the money flowing for Huffpo. This kind of thing has to be sustained to have any sort of effect.

          IMO, as someone who is in the MH field, the entire approach is irresponsible and shallow . The Duchess of Keen is a detriment with her ill-informed, irrelevant and possibly dangerous ‘knowledge’ and opinions. Seriously, I think this is a travesty. And like usual, she and her team have no follow through. We are not the cynical ones- it is the Cambridges and their team of lying, irresponsible enablers. I have no words for the enormity of my concern and how aggravated I feel.

          I also don’t think of HuffPo as serious, responsible journalism so the Cambridges’ link with it is very telling. Fluff and puff.

          1. +1,000,000

22. I have to ask, and am not trying to be mean, but are Kate’s eyes uneven, i.e., one being higher than the other? I don’t remember this from her uni days.

    1. In the photo, Kate’s head/body is tilted, so that may be helping to make it look like her eyes are uneven.

    2. Nearly everyone has 1 eye smaller or lower than the other. It’s not always easily noticed, but we got it.
       Depends on the angles.
       Not physically different, but there is an illusion involved.

23. Isn’t it telling that no serious, credible news outlet or medical journal approached Kate to highlight children’s mental health? That goes to show you that most credible media think that KM is a joke, a mannequin- nothing more.

    And what does she mean by the blanket term, “children’s mental health”? Wouldn’t it look more well-researched and professional on her part if she focused on one or two sub-sections of children’s mental health? Like children’s mental health such as mood disorders. Or mental health being affected due to domestic abuse or family poverty?

    1. I bet that besides anxiety and depression (still very serious of course) she cannot name one other child mental health condition. And there are several.
       And I am willing to bet she couldnt list risk factors and protective factors aside from having a family that does or does not hug you.

24. Another “deer caught in the headlights” expression by Kate in the photo where she appeared at the event for Children’s Mental Health concerns. Sorry I don’t remember the exact name of where she went.

    Oh, I am hoping I am wrong, but I don’t see her hitting the ball out of the park with her upcoming Guest Editor gig. I am sure so many people have been working their tails off leading up to the day. Do you think she has been studying hard? Coming up with ideas that will benefit the subject and lead to less fear about mental health issues in general? So many people shut down when the topic comes up — mostly from fear, I believe.

    William and Kate are interested in this subject for reasons, I assume. If they’d be open and honest about those reasons, wouldn’t it benefit others who are dealing with the pain of their own problems? I would love to see supportive, caring, loving responses to this “cause.”

    As for Pippa, does anyone else think she has had some subtle work done? She really does look amazing. Far better than she has looked in the past. The smile on her face is one of a really happy woman. I hope her life is a happy one. I give her credit for doing her part for charities that interest her. And, as others have said, she appears to lead a healthy lifestyle.

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