276 thoughts on “Kate Middleton, Prince William, and Prince Harry visit the Chelsea Flower Show”

1. Stunning flowers! Wish I could attend this!
   As for Kate, she is a boring dresser and a boring person. I hope we hear more about this secret meeting that Kate had held for people working in support services for women in prison. My feeling is that it was just put out there to make it look like Kate actually works and does all these secret meetings with important people.

   Although, I would say that Will and Kate look the happiest together than they have in a while- maybe their marriage is not in trouble after all, which is a good thing for them.

   1. Considering KP/the Court Circular actually says whenever Kate takes a private meeting, I think it’s fair to say she has not been doing many private meetings over the years and the Kate-stans need to accept that. This, to me, is not proof that Kate does a lot of private meetings, it’s proof that Kate doesn’t do a lot of private meetings.

      1. I think you are right. Why announce something unless it was outside of standard for Kate?

         1. Exactly.

         2. +1

   2. It depends which pictures you look at Red because in some on the Mail last night he looked murderous. She was heard calling him darling, he had that tense jaw thing going on that he does when he’s in a strop. I just don’t understand their dynamic at all.

      1. Apparently they called each other “darling” a lot.

         1. I do remember Charles & Camilla calling each other darling but I am surprised that William can manage any endearments beyond babykins….he just doesn’t seem the type. I most uncharitably thought when I heard Kate calling him darling that is was an act & term of possession.

         2. I think I saw a documentary recently that said Wills pet name for Kate is “puppet” and I thought how fitting!

            1. I think it’s actually “poppet”, although it’s derived from puppet!

         3. Maybe it’s the British version of Bless your heart (

            1. Vickiv, that made me really laugh out loud. Being a Northeast kinda girl, I never realized the nuances of “Bless your heart” until I worked in Tennessee. I learned to use it wisely after I insulted someone without having a clue that I did 🙂

               But poppet is a term of endearment. No hidden agendas that I know of.

            2. I call my dog poppet ?

         4. Gag

            1. Oops. This is in response to them calling each other darling!

      2. Personally, I don’t have TOO much of an issue with him and his tense jaw. My boyfriend and I don’t do pet names either. The most we do is call each other “babe”. But that’s only in private. When we’re out, we call each other by our names. I actually feel a little weird if he calls me babe in public. To each their own.

         1. What’s a “poppet”?

            1. Poppet is an affectionate and loving term for a young child. It’s also my dog’s nickname 🙂

            2. Yes agree with Szolo it’s just a term of endearment for a young child or a much loved pet.

2. I thought the Yorkie girls looked lovely, especially Beatrice. Those poor girls are so much maligned because of their parents but both could make a lovely contribution if only they were allowed too. Sophie looks fab and yes McQueen is extortionate. I loved the Queen’s head floral display…..so imaginative. Have people noticed the ulcer on the Queen’s right leg? It’s not going away. I can see it’s healing but it’s not getting smaller……I am concerned for her. She looks tired and a bit run down. Nice to see a lot of the minor Royals out as well. I can’t think of the last time I saw the Kents out together.

   Diary Issues = Not interested and can’t be arsed IMO. William’s knowledge, as demonstrated, could be written on the back of one of his Grandmother’s postage stamps and don’t get me started on theme dressing again. I hated that colour the first time she wore it, I hated the Erdem green coat dress too. I’m struggling to like the Charlotte chrysanthemum too as I have very mild trypophobia and just looking at it makes me itch & prickle. But looking at all the flowers and seeing most of the Royal family at the show was lovely.

   1. I wasn’t a fan of Beatrice’s outfit, but I thought Eugenie looked great. I did notice that the Queen had what looked like a giant scab on her leg. I’m not a huge flower person and chrysanthemum aren’t very appealing to me. I like tulips.

      1. I’m a peony girl myself. Absolutely obsessed with them especially white ones. The Queen’s leg has been bad for a few weeks now. It’s a really nasty sized scab. It looks ulcerated in close up pictures.

         1. Me too! Love a huge bouquet of white peonies.

            1. Me too! Any colour is fine.

   2. At HM’s age things can look worse than they are because healing takes so much longer. And it does appear to be healing. Just very slowly.

      Everyone looks lovely.

      And is this the same event where Harry gave a speech honoring Diana when they named something there after her. And the whole BRF turned out except for WK?

      1. Yes.

   3. Beautiful flowers. I would love to go something like this. Kate as usual is boring. Boring outfit. Simpleton in her vocabulary. She is not even good with small talk. What I don’t understand is why didn’t they go when a daffodil was named in honor of George? Diary issues? Give me a break. So keen of them to attend.

      I thought the Queen looked lovely. As well as the York girls, Sophie, Anne, and Princess Alexandra.

      1. Eleanor I thought the same thing about William and Kate didn’t go when a daffodil was named in honor of George. Poor boy, but his sister, the Diana 2.0, deserves more than him. I also agree Kate as usual is boring, her theme dressing is pathetic, like was in India. I liked some dresses she wore in India, but I think if she is representing UK she should wears dresses which were representing UK too. But instead she became an average Indian woman.

         1. I feel bad for George. Yes is third in line to the throne. Yet anytime his parents speak of him. It seems to me to be a negative stereotypical way. Charlotte is very lady like. Yet George is a handful. News flash Will and Kate. Kids are a handful. Whether they are lady like or spirited. I think George is going to give them a run for they’re money. He has that twinkle of mischief in his eye.

            This would have a wonderful event for the kids to go to. Why they didn’t bring them is beyond me. They are doing a disservice to they’re children. You cannot lock them away from the world. Yes you want to protect them. That is what every parents goal is. Yet they are royal children. Expose them in small doses. I think if George and Charlotte grow up not doing these things slowly. And then one day are just thrust into this world. It will be a complete culture shock for them.

            1. Trying to picture it from the kids perspective, I actually kind of think this event would be a very, very boring one for the kids. It’s not something like the zoo or anywhere where the kids could play or touch stuff. They wouldn’t be able to touch the flowers, and there weren’t any petting zoo or anything for the kids to play at. They would just be walking, or strolling, around, not able to touch anything, not able to run around, not able to do anything. It would actually be very boring for them.

            2. I agree with you KMR. I don’t think was a very ‘kid friendly’ event. At least not at their age. Also, no one else had their young children there. I assume there was probably a reason for that and they weren’t invited.

   4. I have seen quite a few photos of Sophie and she seems to be “normal”? I really don’t know that much about her (I’m from the States), but she never seems to grab the limelight

      1. I’m from the States as well. I do like Sophie a lot. I like the way she carries herself. When she does engagements she is there in the moment. Seems always happy to bring attention to the organizations. And be there as well.

         1. Ditto on all of this. I like Sophie a lot! She seems very genuine and authentic.

         2. I agree to some extent but I think she needs to reduce her clothing budget and stick mainly to British designers. Personally I dislike most McQueen and think this outfit does nothing to flatter Sophie’s very good figure. But her spending is out of control.

            1. Could Sophie not find another flower dress that would do for under $8,000? The McQueen dress is okay but I have a skirt in my closet I got for under $100 that looks pretty damn close to this dress… There are things that I admire about Sophie but something isn’t quite right with her. Her spending is ridiculous. I follow a blog about her occasionally and have watched her transform over the last couple years with the wardrobe revamp and I am not trying to be negative but she seems really, really spoiled and over the top with all of her wardrobe picks. To me, that does not seem refreshing or relatable or genuine but screams spoiled and covetous.

            2. Sophie does seem to buy a lot of expensive designer dresses, but she tends to repeat them way more than Kate does. I’m not excusing Sophie’s spending, but I’m just saying. I, too, think Sophie spends too much on clothing. If we’re going to call out Kate for her spending, we have to call out Sophie, too.

   5. Well, Bea and Eug still make their contributions , even though it’d not done officially. I think it shows great character on their part as they do things such as chairities because they want to and are not obligated to even do so. Sarah and PA did something right with their daughters.They don’t even get that press attention during such events .

      Like for instance. After the Chelsea Flower Show, Princess Beatrice dashed off to announce the winner of Oscar’s book Prize. Which Princess Beatrice was also on the judging panel.

      http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/oscar-s-book-prize-2016-beatrice-battles-it-out-for-book-prize-shortlist-a3235591.html

      The book prize is set up in memory of Oscar Ashton, the son of Evening Standard columnist James Ashton. He died in 2012 at the age of three from an undetected heart condition.

      http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/books/the-cow-who-climbed-a-tree-wins-oscars-book-prize-a3255326.html

      Quite a few different pics on twitter of her giving some sort of speech at the book prize.

      1. duchesschicana, thank you so much so letting us know! 😀

         1. +1

      2. Thank you for sharing that…..it makes me really sad that these girls get no recognition or plaudits for doing the bread & butter engagements that Kate should be doing.

         1. Another interesting note, Eugenie’s white dress from the Flower Show was made by Beulah London, the fabric was from the York’s key to freedom line.

            Key to Freedom products are currently being sold in Topshop and on Royal Collection Trust Shop’s website. All Profit from these sales go directly to the women who produced this product, and the Women’s Interlink Foundation.

            ‘I’ll stop chattering about the York sisters now. 😛

            1. I like hearing about them. ?

            2. Find by me! I love them. They are lovely young women who are at the receiving end of horrible press.

            3. They seem lovely. It is nice to hear positive things about them

      3. Thanks for sharing!

3. Someday I would love to attend a show like this; I’m not even knowledgeable about flowers, but it’s all so beautiful and impressive. If I were Will and Kate, I’d be thrilled to make this an annual tradition, but it seems they don’t enjoy events like this. I’m rolling my eyes at their quotes in the article. I like the bottom half of that coat, but I’m not a fan of the restrictive top half. And a broach would have made it a little more interesting. I’m really starting to think the super high heels throw Kate’s posture out of whack – her sailing visit in the sneakers I saw she had far better posture.

   1. I think her posture is just more proof of whether she likes an event or not. It is so obvious when she likes what she’s doing vs when she doesn’t like it. Her posture appears to be just fine at Wimbledon and sailing. She doesn’t crotch clutch. She has a more natural smile.

      1. Agree Miss K. It’s two completly different Kates.

      2. +1

   2. I was able to visit Chelsea Flower Show a couple of times when I lived in the UK. I can thoroughly recommend a visit to the show if you are in London at the right time of year. There is a lot to see but you are guaranteed to come away inspired.

4. Like I said yesterday, this would’ve been an easy event to bring the kids out. Put Charlotte into a stroller, hold George’s hand or carry him. Makes for great PR. Sad that they won’t because of their paranoia.

   Diary issues my a$$! It’s not like they’re working every single day. More like a laziness/entitlement issue. I really don’t understand. Take out the calendar for next year. Mark down the important stuff (ie. trooping, shamrocks for St Patrick’s Day, etc.) and fill in the rest of the year with events for their patronages. It’s not rocket science.

   I don’t like this jacket. Again, Kate took an ok piece of clothing and ruined it with her bespoke crap. It looked a lot better with the original neckline. Boring shoes again. Boring clutch. And of course she has to pick a green that’ll make her stick out like a sore thumb. Her choice of clothing is seriously boring. She used to be decent at this. I actually used to like her clothes.

   The usual crotch clutching and hunchback is here too. I keep having hopes that she’ll wow us, but at this point, it’s just disappointment after disappointment. The hairstyle is also very childish. Does her hairdresser know only 3 styles? The waves, this twisty thing and the chignon?

   There was a picture on the Duchess Kate site and my first thought was “holy crap does she ever look haggard!”. For someone who has all the resources at her disposal, she sure knows how to not use them. She shouldn’t be looking like this at her age. Hell, she shouldn’t be looking like this in 30 years!

   I like the colour HM was wearing. Mind you, I’m a little biased because I do love me some teal. BUT… It’s fresh. It’s spring. It’s very appropriate for this type of event.

   1. I actually kind of like her hair like this – it’s a good compromise between us wanting her hair up and her wanting her hair down.

      1. I prefer her hair pinned back like this if it’s down.

         As for haggard. She’s just not Photoshopped with such a heavy hand anymore.

         1. There was an appalling picture of her on Daily Mail last night…..huge dark circles under her eyes the like of which I’ve never seen before. Her skin tone was blotchy, her foundation poorly applied and too much of it. It was very odd and quite shocking to see because it was the only really awful picture among so many that had clearly been touched up. An oversight maybe but it made me realise how much airbrushing she does get usually.

            1. There was also a photo of her wiping her nose and William wiping his eyes, so I think the pollen was probably getting to both of them.

            2. I also saw that picture too. The first word to come to by mind was haggard. Which I do not get. She is not over worked by any means. Does least of a bare minimum of any engagements. So why look old and haggard at 34? She has a full time Nanny. She isn’t running after her kids all day. Or having sleepless nights due to them. I just don’t know.

            3. I saw that pic as well I saw that pic as well and thought she looked like a corpse. green is an hard color to wear, esp when you have no sense of fashion and no stylist. The poofy skirts are jeuvinelle and the upper portion was almost militant.

               She is looking haggard.

      2. I like that Kate has her hair off her face, but the execution is lacking. I hope Kate did her own hair because this does not look professionally done.

         The good: Kate wore an ugly outfit she already owned, instead of buying a new ugly outfit like the lace dress and little red riding hood jacket.

         The bad: Sophie I like you, but seriously this dress is expensive. I don’t like the overdone skirt with the boxy jacket. She looked much better in the black and white dress and the fitted black jacket she wore to the farm a couple of engagements ago.

         At least we have the SRF to look forward to on Friday.

         1. I do think Kate rarely does engagements without her hairdresser preparing her hair. Take a look at pics from the tours, and the births of her children, or even her vogue shoot – we know her hairdresser has present for all of them and yet her hair does not seem very different from other events, so yes I think she regularly has Amanda(?) preparing her hair, which imo is a waste of money and another thing to add on the list ‘she is not that trifty’

            I can’t wait for friday as well!!!!

         2. Agree G., I also like Sophie, but almost 8000 pounds for a dress is SURREAL. Even if she wore it everyday it still wouldn’t pay itself.

            1. She is becoming increasingly profligate with her clothes. More and more are high end designer…. Many not UK or even Commonwealth. I’m unimpressed really as she is not a very senior Royal.

            2. Birdy even for a senior royal it would be insane. It’s not even an evening gown. I find it a bit scary how easily people get comfortable with spending money.

         3. Her hair is horrid. I wouldn’t pay for that. That is how my stylist pins my hair before we make “magic”, lol! It looked ratty. And if I’m not mistaken, there are tiny clips in it!

            1. It is how I did my daughter’s hair until she decided she could do a better job! I like the hair off her face but there has to be a more sophisticated way to style it. Woman-child.

5. I think the only reason that they have bothered to come this year is because they have been told too cause it’s the Queens 90th year to present a united for the royals.

   1. Also because Charles and Camilla are in Ireland and couldn’t go. So W&K filled in like they did at the Remembrance Festival or whatever it was called last year when C&C were Down Under.

      1. Thanks for the info KMR I did wonder why they were not there

6. Greetings Everyone…

   “Diary issues”… is that the next line of bull shit they are going to trot out for the non appearance of these two leeches?

   Prince Harry – looked away from them as much as he possibly could, he looked so uncomfortable even being around these gormless tossers that I bet that was the first time he really wanted to bolt but like Her Majesty, he did his duty, appreciated the effort that the contributors to the Chelsea Flower show put in and then left.

   It is now blatantly obvious that there is now a rift between Prince Harry, weak willy and Kermit. I think he realises that he is being “used” by the lamebridges and does not want a bar of it.

   Her Majesty, Sophie, Beatrice and Eugenie all looked lovely – the emotion on Her Majesty face when she looked at all those poppies and as Sophie knelt down to touch them, she looked on on the verge of tears.

   As for the others I am well and truly done – life is too short to be wasted on these lossers.

   The BRF are in disarray to the point that if it was not Her Majesty’s 90th birthday year, no-one would see weak willy and Kermit until the next glamour event. That must be tragic for the willy and Kermit who have made an art form out of being lazy.

   Sad to say but this now brings my hope of anything from the lamebridges to an end.

   Thank you KMR for all you have done, however I am heading off for a while and to those who are wondering where I am or if I am headed back to NZ – the answer is in a month or two. I think Cathy and Rhiannon (please forgive me if I have missed anyone out – I am just so tired and between salt water, smelling of diesel and lukewarm coffee my batteries are running on empty),

   I am currently heading south as in South towards the AUCKLAND ISLANDS south, not Auckland City, it will be a long journey, cold, battering seas, way past the Chathams, down towards the “roaring forties” in longitude and latitude. Satnav and communication is getting sketchy, unreliable and incredibly tricky.

   Keep up the comments, and remember we are a family – a family of people, with different qualities, strengths and ideas, yet we are bound together.

   Love all the postings on the Real Royals (European) and those very few true members of the BRF however weak willy and Kermit just suck the good out of almost everything they touch.

   This laziness, selfish, pampered and petulant pair will be hammered continutally over their arrogance as it is simmering and it will hit boiling point sooner rather than later.

   So my friends – my 20 minute break is almost over and have things to get sorted before the next change over.

   I will leave you with my kind thoughts, a pocket full of smiles, keep a spring in your step, a candle burning to light your way and I wish your all the love your hearts can hold.

   The Wild Rose

   See you on the other side…..

   1. I always love to hear what you’re up to, Wildrose

   2. As always Wild Rose, we are all with you on the horizon.

      Be safe and come back soon. May fair winds be yours.

   3. wildrose, it always makes my day when I read one of your comments, thank you and be safe

   4. Wildrose, wishing you all the happiness and goodness you bring to others. Will miss you and do hope you will be back before too long!

      1. BamaLynn, How are you and your husband? How about your dad?

         1. Hubby and I are finally over our pneumonia. Daddy is not doing well. He went home today with hospice. When his breathing got worse a CT scan found lung cancer. He is too weak for a biopsy, let alone treatment. It won’t be long before he’s gone. He’s 87. Thx for asking. Very sad here.

            1. So sorry about your dad BamaLynn. Prayers for you and your family.

            2. BamaLynn, I am sorry to hear your Dad is so ill. Try to take care of yourself through this busy, stressful time. I am sad for your Dad and sad for you. Sending thoughts your way.

            3. Oh I’m so sorry BamaLynn. Those of us with elderly parents can fully empathise with you. Take care and I hope you can come to KMR for some light relief.

            4. So sorry to hear the latest news Barma Lynn. I hope your father is as comfortable as he can be and that life is gentle for him. Good that you are over pneumonia; it is very debilitating. Take good care.

            5. That’s good you are both feeling better.

               I am sorry to hear about your father, I’m sending you a hug or two.
               My thoughts are with you through this tough time, will light a candle for you later today.

            6. Hello, BamaLynn:

               I was sorry to learn of your dad’s latest diagnosis. My prayers will be with him and you and your other loved ones.

               Hospice is a blessing for the patient and family. May peace and comfort be with your dad and may all his loved ones find peace and love, too.

               Be well and know we are here for you.

            7. Thanks everyone for your kind words. I love our little community here.

            8. Oh no! Enjoy your dad while you still can!

   5. Love to read your posts, Wild Rose. Happy sailing and be safe.

      1. Continued prayers and love to you, BamaLynn.

         1. Thank you, dear Rhiannon.

   6. May you have fair winds and a following sea. All the best on your travels.

   7. Love your posts, wildrose! all the best

   8. Good to hear from you, WildRose. Hope you are staying warm and dry.

   9. Baskets full of happiness to you Wild Rose. Any response from HM yet? Please travel safely you are a very special person, and I feel I want to give you some proper food and a warm bed ! Oh and a long, hot , sweet smelling bubble bath ?

   10. Love to you as well, dear wildrose!

7. So I have a confession to make, yesterday I read the DM article on this event, especially about the “diary issues” and for several hours couldn’t quite figure out why they didn’t attend due to cattle issues or lactose issues, do they even have cows?? Yes, it was a Monday and I kept reading “dairy” not “diary” LOL I felt like quite the goof when I finally figured it out. Of course they had “diary issues” in that they refused to put this event in their respective diaries.

   I thought the Queen looked simply beautiful today! She just gets it right every time. In fact, with the exception of the Duchess, I thought all the Windsor women looked lovely. I might be in the minority here but I really liked Beatrice’s outfit, she did a great job with the color blocking and her shoes are to die for. I love the idea of Sophie’s dress but I’m not sure I love the puffy skirt. Since I thought Kate looked like crap today, I really don’t have much more to say about her.

   The flowers here look incredible and are making my green-ish thumb itch. It’s been so windy and cold where I live that getting out in my garden isn’t a fun prospect. I am hoping this weekend will be nice so I can finally get so flowers planted.

   1. I’m with you re. Beatrice I loved her outfit which accentuated her tiny waist and those shoes are heaven. She’s really hitting her style mojo now IMO. Eugenie had the new colour reason of the Bottega Venetta clutch which is permanently on my lust list. The stylist employed for these two did a great job.

      Not so far out Lauri….Kate does have dairy issues…..and carb issues, fat issues.

   2. Dairy issues!! That’s great.

   3. LOL – I saw “dairy,” too!

   4. “Dairy issues” LOL

   5. I loved Beatrice’s shoes! Kate should look at her shoes for inspiration. I think Eugenie’s hair was so pretty today.

   6. My husband tried to purchase the first season of Downton Abbey on DVD per my request, but came home from running errands without it. He said they only carried DownTown Abbey and thought it was the wrong TV series. Kind of funny from an MBA who is supposed to have half a brain.

      1. LOL – that sounds like a husband!

      2. Lol, I always see Downtown Abbey as well.

   7. Love it Lauri, Dairy Issues LOL

8. Apparently W&K are allergic to flowers – you can see photos of her blowing her nose and William wiping his eyes. So we know they won’t be coming back. Maybe that’s the reason Kate didn’t launch her Anmer Organics foods that she was so “keen” on. Not to mention her total lack of horticultural knowledge (“Oh, do these [the chrysanthemums] grow outside? Duh.)

   You would think William would have absorbed some knowledge from seeing his father transform Highgrove and Birkhall’s incredible gardens. I hope Charles leaves those to Harry!

   The flower photos KMR posted are gorgeous. I found another (check out http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3605874/Watering-cans-345-bird-bath-1-895-DOES-Chelsea-make-heart-soar-Asks-Max-Hastings.html from the Daily Mail) – scroll down and look at the peacock made of flowers. You can see HM’s silhouette display in the background. Loved it!

   It was nice to see some other faces – the Yorks, the Duchess of Gloucester and Princess Alexandra look great. So did Princess Michael – I just love her. Sophie looked nice but holy carp, almost $8000 for a dress?? More money than cents as my mom used to misspell it 😉

   I enjoyed seeing the Poppy display. I wish we still did the Remembrance Poppies here in the US. I can remember as a child buying them from the local VFW around Veterans Day. Haven’t seen those in years – wonder why?

   1. Are they also allergic to work?

      1. Lol

   2. I would have thought William would have picked up at least some basic knowledge during that agriculture course he took at Cambridge, but I guess he wasn’t there enough to learn anything.

      1. Gosh, forgot about that. Lots of news stories about him starting, but I don’t recall any showing him holding his diploma (so I take it that was yet another “I was bored so I used parenthood as an excuse not to finish because Kate and George can’t get along without me” project).

         1. I absolutely think he did not finish. KP announced when he completed each step of his flight tests and training for his air ambulance gig. They also announced when William started the agriculture course, yet they never mentioned him finished it. So I don’t think he did.

            1. Boy, that’s a train wreck waiting to happen. The whole reason for that course (IIRC) was so he’d be prepared to take over the Duchy of Cornwall. Estates don’t magically run themselves, although Charles is so bloody good at it, he makes it look easy.

               Well, that will hit William right in the pocketbook after a few years of neglect.

      2. I just don’t understand him. A tailor made course for him and he couldn’t be bothered to finish? I’ve asked this many many times, but what does he do with his time? Does he have a drinking problem or something like that?

         1. I suspect his drinking problem is that horrid clingon who supposedly lives with him and the roboduchess and runs the show. I was thinking that maybe he plays video games, I know people who can play those for hours on end. Wasn’t there some big deal made about a game boy or something in the not too distant past? Had to get waity’s permission or some such silly thing. He is just an ingrate who appears to think that being the first born son of a heir is going to serve him for the rest of his life, and that he is adored and adoration is his birth right. I disagree.

   3. Oh, how I wanted to visit the Flower Show, too. Such magnificent displays of gorgeous flowers. Then, I realized my hay fever would be going berserk and I thought, I so hope none of the Royals suffer from allergies. I guess, Will and Kate do, so it would not be their first choice to attend this — except for the Charlotte flower!

      I’m with KMR, that William’s jokes are not funny. I’m not a fan of mums, either and thought the Charlotte flower might be a rose. Oh, well.

      The poppies were so endearing and touching To see HM and Sophie display such emotion was very touching.

      The knit flowers were so lovely and were made wtih love to honor people. Just a touching and lovely display.

      Peonies are also a fave of mine. Especially pink ones. And, tulips! Just love them in every color.

      I wish Kate would have worn an interesting brooch or scarf with that dress.

      Thank you for this post. It’s rainy and bleak in NY today and seeing the flowers lifted my spirits, KMR.

   4. Oh, I just purchased paper poppies for Maddie and me outside a local supermarket.

      Were you referring to actual poppies, Szolo? I wish those were available, too. Here we are coming up to Memorial Day in the States and it’s important to remember those who gave their lives and their loved ones who sacrificed, too. As well as all who served and serve.

      1. We used to buy a crepe paper (I *think* they were crepe paper) corsage. I know the wives of the VFW guys used to make them by hand, and they would sell them as a fundraiser. You could get one, two or three poppies plus a leaf or two on a stem. I just looked in my old sewing box and sure enough, I still have the pins!

         I remember if it rained and/or they got wet, I’d come home with a big red stain on my blouse!

         1. Yes, that is what I just got — the crepe paper red poppies. The veteran who sold them was so grateful for the purchase. I think the public is — or should be – more grateful for his service!

   5. I understand hay fever. I’m pretty much allergic to every pollen out there. That allergy test was the worst appointment ever! Just sitting there while the doc poked and I couldn’t scratch any of the hives… *shivers* But that’s not an excuse for not working. It seems like this is a pretty big event that takes place every year. Suck it up and go to the pharmacist. Get some allergy meds and you’re good to go. If the pills don’t work, the shots definitely do. It’s just more bullsh*t from the lazy duo.

   6. Maybe it depends on where you’re at and the veteran community. I’m in Louisiana and near the AF base I retired from. We have lots of opportunities for poppies at Armistice Day. Yes I know it’s Veterans Day but old habits die hard

   7. Poor Kate – allergic to horses and now flowers?

      Isn’t it great she doesn’t have an allergy to sailing?

9. Did William bring Kate to events like this before they were engaged? I find it odd that the York girls bring their boyfriends, but I don’t remember Wiliam or Harry doing this. It could, of course, just be personal preference, but is there any formal protocol? Perhaps the boys haven’t wanted to in order to protect the “privacy” of their girlfriends.

   I love Sophie, but this dress seems a little too pricey for me…

   Kate does not seem to get along with the York girls. I think I’ve rarely seen a picture of them laughing together. For someone who barely has any female friends, you think she might make an effort.

   1. I think it depends on the event. It seems the princesses were there privately, if this was an official event as members of the RF for Bea and Eugenie, or a royal family affair (like trooping or christmas), their boyfriends would not be allowed. It could also happen Dave and Jack were invited on their own.

      Sophie looks good, her dress is a repeat debuted firstly on tour to the Bahamas earlier this year (with Prince Edward). I agree it’s very expensive. Is it me or a lot of ‘grand’ brands these days are overpriced not bc they offer great products but bc they have fame? It a beautiful dress but not a 5 digits type of beautiful, imo.

      1. Absolutely. You’re paying for the name, not the clothing. That’s something that really annoys me about the fashion industry.

   2. Re William bringing Kate to events like this pre-engagement: I don’t think so. They didn’t even attend friend’s weddings together until a few weeks before the engagement announcement.

      1. I don’t think William had any intentions of bringing Kate near his family until he absolutely had to. It could be seen from two sides: if for some reason they actually liked her and he decided to end the relationship he could get pressure and on the other side he didn’t want them to realize too early on how absolutely wrong she was for the job and demand that he end it.

         And I think in the end that is the main reason he ended up marrying her, they realized she didn’t work, didn’t do any charity events, just sat around waiting for him and the ring and told William to move on. And stubborn William being who he is went the other way because no one will tell him what to do. At least no one from his side of the family.

         1. Chelsy met the Queen and the rest of the family when she had been dating Harry years less than Kate had been dating William. William really did keep Kate away from his family for a long time. It could be for any number of reasons. I know that they are royalty and aristocracy and that is a very different world from mine, but it does seem odd to me that he kept her away from his family for so long when they all live in the same city (for at least part of the year). If I were dating someone whose family lived in the same city as us, and the relationship was serious, and he didn’t introduce me to his family for years, I would consider that a huge red flag. Granted, that’s only if he liked his family. If he hated his family, then I could understand keeping me away. So that makes me think either William didn’t consider his relationship with Kate to be serious, or he really, really hates his family.

            1. If William hates his family so much that he doesn’t want to introduce the woman he’s living with to them and prefers to be with her family instead of his, then why does he continue to live off of their wealth. If he had any self respect he’d go out and do it on his own, he would not be reliant on them for his life.

               It’s just another way he shows how two faced he is as an individual using people for his wants and needs.

            2. That’s exactly it: William is two-faced. He wants all the perks his family and status can provide, while doing none of the work for it and living on his own terms. Except he’s not because he isn’t paying for anything himself.

            3. To me the worse part of Kate meeting the Queen so late in their relationship is that she did it alone! Kate meet HM on the Philips wedding, when she was ‘third wheel’ to Chelsy and Harry, Willy was to busy to attend and let his long time girlfriend to be introduced to the Queen by Harry! Even on their own wedding rehearsals Harry had to fill in for Willy, not to mention that time Harry had to unveil a plaque commemorating W&K wedding. Willy has the habit of disappearing which was very evident since they were dating, if Kate had not given up her life to be by his side when he saw fit, she would not be married to Willy. I find their relation very strange, to say the least…
               When I look at their relationship the last thing I see is a partnership – someone who is there to grow and evolve with the person they love, instead all I see are two people who decided to put up with one another for life.

      2. Actually they did attend a number of weddings during the dating years. Of course, they would arrive and leave separately but they were still there “together”. And they also accompanied Charles to Klosters on a ski trip, there a photo out there of Kate sitting on William’s lap as he’s sitting next to Charles. However, I don’t think other than that Garter Ceremony though was Kate invited to “royal” events or even many “family” events.

         1. I meant William and Kate didn’t go together as in they didn’t walk together and weren’t photographed together. I forgot about the Garter ceremony. Yes, Kate did get to stand with Harry and them to watch William’s first Garter ceremony.

            1. Yeah, William’s phobia of anything resembling normal behavior reared it’s ugly head. While I’m not a big touchy-feely kind of gal, I don’t think I’d like it if my long-time boyfriend didn’t want to be seen in public with me or god forbid hold my hand at a wedding.

            2. I agree, Lauri! This seems more like a Will problem than Royal family protocol. I would be furious if my boyfriend of years and years wouldn’t walk into a private wedding with me. Especially after it was completely obvious to the media that they were seriously together. I can understand not attending weddings together in the first year and I can totally understand her not attending “official” Royal events like the Trooping. I just find it odd that the Yorks bring their bf’s to something like this (a public event with the whole family) and Will never did the same for Kate when they were together for years and years.

               I’ve wondered if part of the reason Harry has such a hard time finding a girlfriend/wife is that the woman realizes she’ll be required to spend all this time with W+K…

            3. Lauri, super ironic that he wants to be as “normal” as possible. More lies!

      3. Since you mentioned engagement, I have to admit I have wondered about how Kate ended up with the engagement ring. Does anyone know the story? I read the ring belonged to Harry and Will asked for it.

         What I wonder about, was the official story was William wanted to give it to Kate, so Diana would be a part of the day. My point is: Was this Wills idea or did Carole suggest getting the ring for Kate from Harry? Or did Kate have her mind set on the ring and state that is the ring she wanted?

         I heard Will is cheap and may not have wanted to spend money for a ring, but somehow I smell Carole, Kate or Carole and Kate behind the idea. So when Harry gets engaged who will pay for the ring? It seems like Will owes Harry some coin. I guess Harry was given something else, but was it equivalent in monetary and sentimental value? I wish I knew the story. I doubt it was as simple as the story presented.

         It may only bother me, but the whole thing seemed manipulative by one or more parties. I would have preferred to see the ring on the finger of Harry’s wife.

         1. The ring has too much baggage. I think Harry’s future wife would be glad to not have it!

         2. I read that Diana gave a lot of her daily jewelry to W&H. I always thought that W got the ring and H got the gold watch that Diana often wore. I agree, I think that ring has too much baggage. I wouldn’t want it.

            1. I thought William got the watch and Harry the ring but William then asked Harry for the ring when he decided to propose. Don’t know how they squared it up but I’m certain of one thing no matter how much I loved Diana there’s a multitude of reasons as to why I would never want to have been given that ring. But I imagine Kate would have accepted whatever he chose such was her desperation to get him finally committed to her. At the very least she should have had it reset so as not to invite the inevitable comparison it brings.

            2. I read somewhere that W didn’t even ask H for the ring, he just took it and proposed to Kate. Don’t know if this is true, but sounds like something he would do.
               And I agree, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would want that ring. I also doubt that H would give it to his future wife.

            3. The ring, watch and any other jewellery should have been left in the vault. If given to anyone, it should be to a future daughter and much later in her life. The excuse at the time, if I recall correctly, was to keep Diana in the mix of all the engagement announcements.

               I think it would have been wiser to (a) keep it in the vault, or (b) use another piece of Diana’s jewellery collection and create a new ring or (c) buy something new.

               Diana’s ring is just a very visible symbol of a failed relationship: a bad luck ring. That William and Kate’s relationship seems very forced reinforces that thought. I think they are compatible because they both share really narcissistic, lazy and entitled characteristics. If that’s love, so be it. They seem to bring out the worst in each other.

      4. This is an interesting discussion. I didn’t know that the first time Kate met the Queen it was at an event without William. That must have been weird if it went down like that. However, just to play devils advocate….. It does sound like Kate did meet and have relationships with his immediate family- his Dad, Harry… but meeting the Queen (the boss) would be a much bigger ordeal. So- it wasn’t so much a “secret” to those close to them but it wasn’t commented on in the press nor were they “open” in public forums. I’ve always assumed that the reason they kept the relationship “secret” for so long is to try and protect it from the press and scrutiny for as long as they could. Did anyone hear Harry speak about the privacy thing recently? About how he would try and keep any relationship he had from the world for as long as possible so he could build something real…. (sorry no link). Don’t get me wrong- IF it was me – I’d like to say that much time without being open and public would be a total deal breaker. But- on the other hand- when you’re in love ‘deal breakers’ tend to get broken much of the time 😉 And, I realize I may be in the minority around here, but I do think (based on the photos and videos I do see ) they genuinely love and like each other. That’s total speculation on my part but that’s the way it looks to me.

10. I don’t like the alterations Kate does to things she wears, a lot of time there is nothing wrong with them. Imo, when she alters them they lose their charm. I do think she is quite boring and she alters the pieces to make that clear. Lets see, today’s coat is a mixture of two coats the “Lara” and “Evelyn” – they are beautiful coats on their own, but if she was to wear the “Evelyn” one unalterer it would be one of her best pieces (assuming her posture would not interfere).
    Lara – http://www.catherinewalker.com/lara-4/?boutique_start=28&rpid=new-additions/
    Evelyn – http://www.catherinewalker.com/evelyn/?boutique_start=3&rpid=new-additions/

    OMG please give me Bea and Eugenie wardrobes! I think they looked great today, I’m constantly amazed by Eugenie’s shoes and her ability to dress her curves without being overly sexy. The princesses are amazing!

    KMR did you find any picture of Prince Philip? He is mentioned, on articles, twitter, here, but I did not see any photographs of him…

    1. If Kate wore the Evelyn unaltered she would get a lot of criticism because it is so low cut (even though it has a modesty panel). She got lots of criticism every other time she wore something low cut, even if it had a modesty panel.

       I did see a photo of Philip, I just chose not to include it since the post was already long.

       1. Those are coats they are supposed to be worn over other clothes. I think she would have dificulty in combining clothes with it, just like she already has with accessorizing them (even though I don’t believe she knows it). I don’t recall she being criticized over low cuts *with* added modesty panels. DM tried to say she altered one of her dresses in India and added a modesty panel but that was never the case, they were comparing her outfit to the runway model but Kate was wearing the ready-to-wear model.

          1. God forbid she actually have to make an outfit with separates and matching instead of wearing a monotoned a-line coat dress with suede pumps…

          2. Yup! She wouldn’t get any criticism (well, less criticism) if she actually wore it as a coat and had something else underneath it. Her problem is she wears these coats as a dress/complete outfit for the day. Imagine the possibilities if she had separates. She could mix and match and create so many more options. But she buys things as is and always wears them the same way. No imagination.

             1. I agree. I HATE this green dress with a passion. The neckline looks choking, and the fabric photograps very flat, so that bright green color just looks dull. I hate this monotone dressing she does. A single color coat dress with beige shoes, minimal jewelry, and her hair down and blowing in her face. It is all. so. boring. Throw in a false undershirt of a different color. Wear shoes with some color. Fabric comes with pattern now, look at Sophie! Pleeeeeease do something different, monotone is not working.

       2. KMR, I just read my first sentence in response to your comment and it sounded slightly rude in my mind. So my apologies it was not my intention.
          I agree this could be a hard coatdress for Kate to pull off.
          I’m completely fascinated by the concept of coatdresses however I think they should be worn with something underneath – KMR, I did not noticed the modesty panel I thought it has a nude dress.
          I still think a royal could wear this, imagine it without the modesty thingy and with a form fitting dress (in case there is any wind) in light purple or pink it would be a beautiful nod to the flower named after Char – for this event.

    2. I saw pics of Prince Philip in the DM article. He was walking a couple of yards behind The Queen.

       1. Lindsey in DC, KMR, thank you for ensure me he was there. 🙂

    3. No wonder the dress is so odd looking. I had no idea it was one half of one dress with another half of another dress! Her alterations are quite bizarre.

11. Everyone else has said what I think about Kate. I’ll just add that I had a moment where I wanted to wipe that fake, smug, self-involved grin off of her face. Her husband is just as dense as she is.

    Harry looked like he wanted to be any where other than trotting along behind these two.

    I loved what HM, Sophie, Bea and Eugenie wore. I am coveting Princess Anne’s cape in the worst way. (I don’t know why I have a love for a good cape)

    The flowers were amazing. I really loved the silhouette of HM with the different color flowers. I’m glad she liked it too. I think Charlotte’s flower is okay, really nothing spectacular. I have given up trying to understand the things that come out of W&K’s mouth. I will note though that Special Shopper Kate knew where they were being sold! But I expect she isn’t going to buy any, rather they’ll give them however many they want for their gardens.

    It was actually nice seeing so many of the BRF in one place to support HM and the flower show. Interesting that Bea and Eugenie brought their significant others with them. Could there be weddings on the horizon? Double wedding to save money? Just a thought…lol

    Great write up as usual KMR!

    1. It has become very obvious Harry doesn’t like to be around them that much, he turns into this stiff and grave person. I prefer when he is on his own, one can tell he enjoys the events much more when he does not have to side with those two.

       Why can’t they cut the ‘three as a team’ crap when is so evident is a ‘W&K team and if it suits us to use Harry we will’…….

       1. +1 I hate that poor Harry gets lumped together with these two. He does such brilliant work on his own. I hope he and his future wife really do their own thing and have their own staff. I would hate for them to get sucked into the black hole of bad Cambridge PR.

          1. I also wish he could have his own staff. Or Jason just needs to drop Will & Kate. He seems to do an ok job when it comes to Harry. Goes to show that it’s not really his abilities but more so the clients that are a problem.

             1. Good point, Miss K. Jason can only do so much with W+K. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. 😉 He can sugarcoat their work as much as he wants, but you can’t cover genuine disinterest.

    2. Harry didn’t seem to have the same kind of joy he did the last few years when he attended this event.

       1. Yes he did, at first I thought it was bc he does not have a Sentebale garden this year, but then I remembered he attended privately in 2014 and looked like a happy bunny! I think between private and official visits this is his fifth time there. Even when he does engagements to which he did not contribute in a personal capacity he always seems happy to be there. So to me W&K are the only part on the equation that does not fit, he does became more withdraw as if he tone down his normal bubbly self to not deviate attention from the golden couple or Willy.

12. Well I bopped over to a couple of pro-Kate sites and it seems that the letter to EACH and this hideous coat dress is starting to turn some lovers into haters (or at least questioners). Between missing the Irish Guard parade (which is mentioned at least once in the comment section on just about every article about Kate on the DM), that horrible letter to EACH, missing the 7/11 memorial and the 5 hours spent with Ben it’s pretty obvious that with the exception of her most rabid fans, Kate is losing what goodwill and popularity she once had. And while I’m sure this sounds bad, I’m rather glad that people are finally seeing through the royal haze to gaze at the lump underneath.

    1. I was shocked when I read a post the other day from one blogger who always loves everything Kate wears, and when she does she’ll at least not say it’s super bad, said that Kate made a huge fashion miss a week or so ago (I think it was the Windsor Horse Show event).

       1. I think I know who you are talking about KMR and it’s simply amazes me that someone who is smart enough to put together a well written blog can be so blind to what’s going on here. I don’t think there’s enough alcohol in world to make it possible for me to write some of the fawning dribble I see there. Years ago I used to comment on that site because I did enjoy her writing style and some of the other commenters there were pretty nice, but wow once I started to question Kate’s work ethic or the fact that she left George to scamper away to the Maldives for 10 days, things went south pretty quickly and I left. In fact recently she made a comment about the freedom of speech in one of her replies so I emailed her and very politely and nicely asked how she can defend the freedom of speech while at the same time she restricts and censors what others can say on her site. Needless to say I never received a reply. Sorry to be so long winded…but please keep up the good work, your site is the bright spot in my day!

          1. I think I know which site you’re talking about. It’s way tooo over the top and sweet for me. It actually gives me a toothache. And I agree with you on the hypocritical part. She censors anything that isn’t pro-Kate. That site actually makes me angry.

          2. If we are thinking about the same person, I’m absolutely shocked that someone with that level of education and drive can love Kate since she doesn’t have any. How can one who is working so hard for their own career love a woman who famously never had one?

13. Two words: horrible coat. I saw the photos on DM and I can say William does’n look happy. Someone there commented: “Will looks like he’s suffering immensely.” I agree, while Kate shows her grinning again. The other people look happy, but the couple look distant, Kate is smiling but William is serious. Maybe it’s only my impression, I don’t know.

    1. William always seems very intense. He is old beyond his years. Not saying that to be mean. He looks terrible. Like the life has been sucked out of him. The only joy I ever see is when you see him in photos of him and his children.

       1. Eleanor, I agree with you.
          At least, he does seem to enjoy his children! Otherwise, he is rather miserable in his approach to things.

       2. If he’s so miserable, I wish he would just give up the throne to Harry! Although, we all know Mama Midds would never let that happen. She didn’t fight tooth and nail to have her daughter marry someone that would give up their throne…

14. And omg… When someone is showing you their 3 year labor of love on a subject like this… You respond as an adult like you’re a toddler… I can’t… Was there nothing more substantial she could say? Or was this what the DM chose?

    1. Are you really that surprised Runaway?

       1. A little tbh. I’m wondering if the press are really taking passive aggressive shots more often. Like with the less Photoshopped pics and overall lazy tones buried in fluff articles.

          So, was this all she said? Not how rewarding or lovely this must have been for the woman? Or admirable? Are these words Kate knows and understands? Did she just kneel down and say the fluffy ones were her favorites?

          1. What does tbh stand for? Yeah, I think the press is totally going the passive/aggressive route with these two.

             I know right, it ranks right up there with her “how interesting” response to children being mutilated. But hey, don’t forget she reads scientific papers and really, she’s intelligent, really.

             1. tbh = to be honest

             2. Thanks KMR, I’ll try to remember that.

          2. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over these last five years, it is that Kate is not the brightest bulb in the room. Having to maintain a conversation that doesn’t revolve around William, shopping or her kids (maybe) would be one of the hardest things in the world. And I think even listening to her go on about those things would be draining.

             Her lack of interaction with people outside of her immediate circle shows. She’s never really had to do the chit chat thing unless it achieved a goal then she dropped that person once it was reached.

             1. ALso Lisa to make chit-chat, you would have to have some interest in other people. Usually a good way to start and continue chit chatting is starting off at a general and mutually interesting point and then to narrow it to the other person’s interest, like asking someone about something that they care about. People usually like to talk about themselves, lol and also asking open ended questions. But of course, Kate never worked much professionally and did not bother to cultivate any interests outside of securing the Royal Wife position, and her lack of experience and interest in other people is starting to show…most painfully. It is embarrassing for UK and the Commonwealth that this dull and insular person will be a Head of State one day.

15. I didn’t like the York sister’s outfits. They didn’t show off their figures in a positive light, to me. Both women appear to be well endowed (bust-wise and hip-wise) and the shorter skits just emphasized their figures in a negative way. (They looked too top heavy imo). A tad longer and not quite as full would have looked nicer to me. I will say that their shoes were amazing and they have lovely hair and faces! I just wish someone would find dresses that would really flatter their assets more. So many actresses in the 1950s had that type of body and were dressed to show it off in a feminine and gorgeous way. As for gowns, that’s where the real sex appeal can fly!

    The first photo you chose to run, KMR, is so telling. William looking annoyed, Kate unsure, and Harry looking up — taking the entire display in and apparently noticing the beauty fully! Wherever he goes, he finds something to appreciate, it seems.

    I realize W and K have allergies and this visit was probably tough, but at least she smiled more than he did. When W smiles, it makes a difference. The scowls he is becoming famous for show one unhappy dude.

    1. It’s funny to me. That they have allergies but love the country and being surrounded by pollen if their reaction to it is this much.

       I understand the differences in pollens and immunity. And I’m assuming someone was bright enough to give them antihistamines before the visit. combined with the exposure they must have worked up over years at AH… Makes me wonder how much time they’re actually there or outside in gardens.

       1. The only allergies these two have are to work. The diary cover story, her allergy to horses and now flowers, please. Just more BS from these two in an attempt to cover their tracks.

          1. To be fair the allergy to horses story was fully debunked. That reporter never had that conversation at the polo match with Kate and it was admitted as a work of fiction years ago.

             But agree. They appear allergic to all things they don’t perceive as fun.

16. Can somebody please tell William to stop cracking unfunny jokes! They’re naming a flower after your daughter. It’s an honour, be appreciative instead of saying not being able to pronounce ” chrysanthemum “. What an insensitive jerk! Do your research. Say something like: in Greek chrysanthemum means golden flower. The color of the flower affect the meaning behind the flower. For eg. A red chrys is a symbol of love, a yellow chrys means neglected love or sorrow & a white one is a symbol of loyalty & devoted love. Charlotte’s chrys is a mixture of beautiful colors, fitting for a beautiful little princess. Too much for him to say something like that? Just google , it doesn’t take a genius to do that.

    1. William? Kate? Do a bit of research or actually read any information given to them by their staff about the event they will be attending? Kate’s too busy reading scientific journals and William…I don’t know what he does.

17. IDA, you need to work for W and K. Of course, I would not wish that on anyone!

    You are so savvy and what a lovely idea it would have been for someone to have done a bit of research on chrysanthemums for the couple, so they could have made interesting, smart comments. I think it would have been nice for them to do the research on their own, but I guess…..

    At any rate, his joke was rather insensitive. For goodness sake, a flower was named in honor of your daughter, William. Show some gratitude. No humor, please. I’m surprised he didn’t add, “George could destroy this display in a millionth of a second!”

    1. Mary Elizabeth, maybe that was at the tip of his tongue. But if William had said that & I was there then I would have said, ” that would have shown what kind of father he has.” Surely that would have been a slap on his face.

       1. Oh, IDA, that would have been an amazing response to William!!!

          1. LOL. I would love to see the look on his face. It’s time someone talks back at him, in his face, instead of just smiling or laughing at his inane jokes.

18. I really liked Sophie’s dress. Though it is an expensive piece, she is representing the UK and the royal family. She seems to do a better job doing so than some of the other members of that family. I loved the York girls outfits as well!

    1. I like the York sisters, but think they need more assistance with their clothing. I agree that the dresses were too short to balance out the fullness of the skirts for their body types. Something always seems a bit off in what they wear. I loved the shoes and think they are very, very pretty. I just would have liked to see the skirts tapered just a bit, or a bit longer.

       1. Oh no! Just saw pictures of BP garden party& Beatrice & Eugenie look like the 2 ugly sisters walking behind Kate. Their dresses & hats make them look so frumpy! What happen?

          1. I’ve seen the pictures and because the Yorkies are not emaciated like Kate who is a designer clad walking corpse they do look a bit dowdy and pudgy by comparison. But when you see the close up of Eugenie’s dress it’s really quite daring. Bea’s dress is not her best it has to be said. But I do maintain they look polished whereas Kate looks common.

             1. Even when the Yorkies make sartorial mistakes I don’t mind. They make up for it with their personality and spirit. They’re also adventurous with clothes unlike the dunderhead.

          2. I feel bad for them. I would hate to have my photo next to Kate. Anyone over a size 4 would look “big” next to her.

             1. I saw the photos, *sigh. I adore the York girls I do, but I question their fashion sense at times. @_@. On the other hand I’m glad they always authentic to themselves. I think calling The York girls ugly and frumpy is a bit a bit harsh they have their shining moments. I love these photos of Bea:

                http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/07/01/article-0-1F4F7B8B00000578-821_306x695.jpg
                and this one:
                http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/03/12/2694F6EF00000578-2992300-image-a-12_1426195906131.jpg

             2. Those two outfits are very good – and so different! I especially like the white dress with the appliqué. It is very flattering and demure yet still a bit risqué.

             3. I agree ArtHistorian! I’ve always loved this white dress on Bea.

             4. I don’t like the black one, but that white one is probably my favorite from Bea.

             5. I’m late to the party, but thanks for those links. She looks lovely in both outfits. Did you see, I think Kate copied Bea???? Those purple shoes look like the black pair Kate wore several times in India. The press always tries to make it sound like Bea wants to be like Kate, so it makes me happy to see Kate copied Bea :).

19. *pops in*

    I love this blog so much… one of my favorite things to read during my spare time. I have finally discovered a blog with comments that entirely summarizes my feelings about Kate Middleton and her family, along with the Daily Mail. I’ve been reading the comments on here for a few months now, but this is my first time commenting. Everyone else’s comments are so well-written and articulate, and they share the exact same sentiments that I have about this royal couple. Lol you people are always spot on, I was afraid the sycophantic obsession would never stop. I’m glad I was proven wrong. There’s people out there that realize there’s absolutely nothing special or worthy about this chick. I always go straight to the comments! Thanks KMR!

    *pops out*

    1. +1 MZA, welcome! It’s refreshing to have a blog so respectful and comments so persuasively well-written like this one! No sugars, no haters, just realistic people who wish & want the best for her but also want respect of her position and humility from her. I love this blog too!

    2. Welcome to the KMR world, MZA!

       1. Welcome MZA

    3. Lovely to see you! Enjoy! Xx

    4. Have fun! Looking forward to reading more of what you have to say.

    5. Welcome to the KMR family!

    6. Hi and welcome MZA!

20. William attended his first BP Garden Party today (it’s Kate’s fourth and sure enough, the photos show her pulling one of *those* faces – some refer to them as “gurning”). Snarky press comment: “Despite the Queen’s garden parties being one of the most important events of the royal calendar, William had not attended one before today.”

    The Dolittle Duo will be so exhausted…

    1. I love the photo where it looks like Eugenie is eyeing Kate. I picture her thinking, *should I trip her?*

    2. She looks like an escapee from Bedlam……gurning, manic and very unladylike. Why does she try to convince everyone she’s having a whale of a time. It’s a garden party for God’s sake. Go on Eugenie……I dare you to push her down those steps.

       1. Indeed. The manic grins are very weird considering no one else in the photos is ever grinning so much like that.

       2. I cannot stand Kate’s gurning face. I want to shake some sense into her.

    3. How come William has never attended one of these before? Especially when Kate had attended several times?

21. Wow I am stunned that the DM posted these pictures!! I wonder how long before William starts issuing threats?

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3607164/PC-George-Prince-enjoys-ride-police-motorbike-help-smiling-Kate-FOUR-officers.html

    1. Well there were 300 – 400 people there when it happened. Can’t really stop that many people with cameras. If he gets upset he’ll take it out on Kate

       George must have a love affair with helicopters, they bring him out to watch them take off all the time. Don’t know if I believe that he’s waving goodbye to different family members as they take off to work. Unless Kate is whispering that they must never use the helicopter for work. Work is bad, remember that George and Charlotte.

       1. I doubt it’s about which family member is using the helicopter. It’s just about the helicopter.

    2. This might be one of their staged photo ops that are supposed to look normal. And I see Kate has that same dress now in 3 colors. Man, when she finds something she likes she buys it in all the colors.

       1. I don’t trust that it wasn’t staged.

    3. Surprised they weren’t forced to pixelate the pictures of George. Still he looks like he’s having fun and I do believe Maria often takes him to the helicopter site to meet & greet and see off whoever is flying. Like most little boys he has a love of uniforms, police and ‘copters and he looks very engrossed.

    4. Oh I forgot, the Duke and Duchess haven’t received the best of press lately, so of course there are photos of the kiddies or at least George. Silly me how could I forget their standard operating policy?!

       1. Now some might call you cynical. Ho! Ho!

          1. And they would be right 🙂

             1. Bad press for Will and Kate equals cue in George and Charlotte. They hide behind those two kids.

             2. Do they ever! Poor children…

             3. You are so right, Lauri and all. Bad press for the Duke and Duchess, cue the cuties. I will say George is adorable. So interested in the motor bike. Probably thought he was a real police officer. Charlotte is really hidden from view, though. Just the handle of the pram. Would it really hurt to see a bit more of her, too?

       2. Hi Lauri
          Have you seen the pics of Kate walking in Kensington Palace gardens with George and pushing a pram ? These gardens are the public gardens not the private palace gardens. Pap stroll ?

          1. I doubt it’s a pap stroll when the only photos were taking by random people who posted them to social media.

       3. Enter George to the rescue! I would say, Charlotte, as well — if she were truly visible in the photo.

          George is one cute little boy. And, his parents know how to use him effectively.
          When the going gets tough for Mum and Daddy, bring out PG. Soon, maybe, Charlotte will be given that honor, too. At least, we’ll be able to see more than the handle of her stroller, in future pix.

          Gosh, W and K are so very predictable. And, they are so very dedicated to keep their kids out of public view — unless it aids their own bad images in the media.

          1. +1

22. Those crochet poppies look amazing!! Would love to see in person.

    Prince Harry looks so detached from them. I wonder why he didn’t accompany Bea and Eugenie?

    Sophie looks fresh and pretty as always. How is it possible that Kate looks older and more haggard than Sophie?!

    1. Beatrice & Eugenie were accompanied by their boyfriends and the Duke of York.

       1. Oh, thank you. I didn’t realize that.

    2. To be fair Sophie has a pretty cushie life. She spends a fortune on clothes, many not British designers, she doesn’t work that hard ( remember no members of the BRF work 9-5 45+ weeks a year) , and she will never have the pressure of being married to someone doing the top job. I like Sophie, as I do keep saying, I appreciate she is properly connected to her charities, but she hardly has a stressful life.
       And of course no money worries…no mortgage, no worry over Uni fees.

       1. This is all very true. From a purely shallow view on my part, Sophie doesn’t cake on the makeup. She physically looks younger than Kate at times.

          1. I think her skin looks amazing and she looks happy …maybe that is the real secret?

23. So don’t hate me, but I like this coat. I liked in on the Australia/New Zealand trip as well. It would probably look better with a thinner belt, but I do like it. I am surprised Kate didn’t wear a flower print dress since she likes theme dressing and this was a flower show. This coat wasn’t theme dressing to me.

    1. Having seen it on the Catherine Walker website in a different colour and assembled as it should have been I loved it but I just don’t like this bright green. In the dove grey the top half is beautiful. It looks a lot more polished on the website than when it’s being worn.

24. Sophie’s outfit made me think of something Fergie would’ve worn back in the 80s. I don’t care for it at all.

    I thought Anne looked the best. her clothes aren’t flashy, but she always manages to look well put together and elegant. Even in her horse trial outfits of turtlenecks, vests, trousers, and hiking boots. I really like the shoes she had on at the flower show. They had a very practical heel that didn’t sink into the grass or pea gravel. Kate should get some tips from Anne on how to care for suede shoes!

25. Agree with so many of you on here but I wanted to add my two cents.
    1) Kate’s dress is ugly. I don’t like this minimal look Catherine Walker is doing now. I loved her clothes back in Diana’s day, but she always did 2 colors, usually a main color for the body of the coat dress, and then a second color for the cuffs, collar, buttons and trim. Diana would then wear shoes and carry a purse in that secondary color. She always looked interesting and coordinated. This monotone look with beige shoes is boring and bad fashion I think.
    2) I love Sophie’s dress but is a crazy amount of money to spend on one dress. I hope she wears that several more times to get her money’s worth.
    3) It is nice to see the York girls out. Eugenie looks almost angelic in the photo where she is lookigpng down at the flowers in her hand.
    4) Way to go Australia for knitting all those poppies! It reminded me of a story I read about Australians knitting sweaters for penguins saved from an oil spill. So cute.
    5) I guess William never saw Anne of Green Gables. I learned how to spell Chrysanthemum from that show. And how to glare triumphantly at the guy I am besting.
    6) I though the Charlotte flower was ugly. The two colors didnt coordinate enough. The green was too bright and/or the lavender was too pale.

    And once more, that green dress is just the worst.

    1. Gilbert Blythe and Carrots. Jet I thought the same thing.

       1. Yes JET and Eleanor!!! My thoughts exactly!!

    2. Ah yes, with just the right emphasis on E-m-u-m.

    3. I love that you referenced Anne Shirley. She was one of my very best childhood “friends”. I have every one of LMM’s books on Anne, now I want to tuck in and reread them all, thank you!

    4. I thought of that Kevin Henkes book about a girl who’s teased because her name is Chrysanthemum. It was one of my favorites growing up!

26. Horrors— are those shoulder pads Waity has on? I thought they went out in the 80’s!!

    1. Haha, I love cyclical fashion. I just went through the closet a few months ago and unearthed a lot of designer dresses and suits from the 1980’s – with shoulder pads! I worked near the Garment District in NY so I got them dirt cheap (e.g. $27 for my Oscar de la Renta silk dress). If thirty+ year old clothes are good enough for the Princess Royal, they’re OK by me [grin].

27. Compare this video message to Kate’s back in February. The first 1-1/2 minutes are from the Well Child patron, Prince Harry. The rest (about 18 minutes) is a documentary but it’s worth watching when you have the time. Harry, I love ya.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xZaMZhL1bc

    He writes a nice letter, too.
    https://www.wellchild.org.uk/about-us/our-patron/

28. I’m at at the point now that I don’t care about these people. Kate and William are complete slackers. She looks like hell and is truly vacuous, he’s an idiot. They truly have nothing meaningful to add to the discussion, it’s plain to see. I hope Harry distances himself from both of them.

    The Queen though, I hope her leg heals up. I’d like to see her stick around for awhile.

29. I’m in the minority, but I like the coat. It’s just small details that can be changed. First, that zipper. I would have had it halfway down with a multi-colored scarf peeking out. I would have changed the belt and wore different shoes: teal or something snappy. And I would have worn my hair in a high pony. This is where she gets it wrong. Hou have to think beyond the basics.

    I would love to attend an event like this. I love flowers. Peony and iris are my favorites. However my allergies wouldn’t. The field of poppies and the silhouette of HM was breathtaking.

    Thanks for the shot of the flowers…and Harry, KMR!

    1. Hi Rhiannon! that’s the main problem I have with how Kate dresses, she just puts a coat dress on with no thought to accessorizing, no thought to how to make an outfit pop, nope not Kate just put it on, slide on a pair of boring, but expensive pumps, pick up her crotch protector and out the door she goes. Now if one was to look at my closet one would probably assume I was a pretty boring dresser, all neutral colors leaning heavily towards various shades of dark grey but look down and there all kinds of different shoes, in my 4 jewelry boxes is a mix of boho to delicate to one-of-a-kind pieces and don’t even get me started on my scarf collection. I really wish the Duchess would fire who ever is advising her and start looking at Pinterest, there are great styling ideas there or as I did once go to Nordstrom and spend some time with one of their stylists, best afternoon I ever had and 2 years later I still think of her advise when I’m shopping.

       1. Exactly! When I graduated from college, my mom did the same thing. Most of my pieces are classic and neutral. But, I am a sucker for a funky shoe, scarf, bracelet, or brooch. I’m not a “Kate” when it comes to fashion, but I’m not a “Maxima” either, lol!!

          I would love to dress her.

          1. The Queen does it by wearing a plain coat and then a fabulous broach – surely Kate has access to some of the royal jewels, which would liven up a bland outfit.

             1. Kate doesn’t have to have access to the royal jewels to add some fun bling to her outfits. She’s not a big jewel girl any way and there are so many things she could use to further promote British designers. I think her main problem is she’s just not a “statement” girl. Statement jewels, statement accessories, etc. Her biggest accessory is her hair and she’s pretty much ruined that. It’s a pity she doesn’t have someone to push her more in that direction.

             2. While I would never expect Kate to dress like Maxima but she could certainly take a page out of Leti’s or Mary’s style book.

          2. Well when you and Harry marry we’ll have to “kidnap” Kate for a girls shopping weekend!

             1. Oh my gosh yes! We will have a ball!

                I think Kate should take a page from Leti or Char.

       2. Agreed! It seems like she buys clothes and that’s it. I give her a smidge of credit for wearing clothes to more than 1 event, but I would give her a lot more credit if she changed things up with her existing closet. She has no imagination. No mix and matching. I was always under the impression that when you dress, you should have at least 1 statement “thing” (currently having a brain fart with words). That “thing” can be an accessory or a top or bottoms or shoes… she needs something! She’s so boring! I follow another blog where this girl went about reinventing her closet with less pieces but that could be “remixed” (her words) into limitless possibilities! I wish I had her closet. I bet you or I or anyone could go through and come out looking a million times better than she does.

          1. You are right. A statement piece helps. Kind of like room decor where you need a focal point.

       3. Please, don’t laugh, but even pulling the coat’s zipper down a teensy bit, would have added a tiny bit of punch to her look. I’m all for accessories and guess she just isn’t going to make that additional effort to any of her looks. If she’s comfortable wearing what she is wearing, I guess we will just have to keep offering our advice and hoping that someone, somewhere says to her one day, “Ma’am, why not try this scarf?”

          1. Oh I so agree Mary Elizabeth, this habit of zipping and/or buttoning all of her coats, etc to the very top looks rather severe and kind of prudish. I really think her lack of imagination in dressing also reflects her lack of imagination in her role as patroness and Duchess.

          2. No you are right!

    2. If she had styled it like you suggest, it would have looked great. So boring as she wore it.

    3. I always makes sure to include a photo of just Harry for you, Rhiannon!

       1. This is why I love you so! I need to get to London in June!

30. Why is Meeting capitalised? When I was 8 I used to have Pretend Work Meetings too.

31. Sorry if I’m repeating something someone else has said but what has Kate done to that coat? Has she added shoulder pads? The fit was OK before so why alter it?

    1. You’re right Cathy. In one photo of her in the DM, side view, back to camera, there was evidence of shoulder pads. In one of KMR’s ones – the one with two images side be side, the right pic looks like shoulder pads.

       She does quite like that flat shoulder look. Maybe without the pads she’d look more frail?

32. I can’t wait for Friday and Prince Oscar’s christening!!! So far I’ve heard that CP Mary and CP Mette-Marit will be there, I wonder who else? Kate better be silent that day because I will scream if she interrupts KMR’s great coverage of this event with another worthless letter.

    1. It’s been confirmed that Haakon with MM and Frederik with Mary will be there! Lots of speculation that MM and Frederik will be among the godparents…
       I’m sure some other royal houses will be in attendence.
       I LOVE the SRF christenings!!! Can’t wait 🙂

       1. Great to hear from you LizB I was just wondering about you this morning. Are you feeling huge and hot, or have you had the baby? Hope you are well either way.

          1. Hi, LizB. I have been thinking of you, too. How are you feeling?
             When is your due date? Gosh, I bet you are eager to have the baby!
             Wishing you the best!!!

             1. Feeling ok, just the usual 3rd trimester complaints.

                Baby can some anytime between now and June 20!

                Thanks so much for thinking of me!

          2. No baby yet, but definitely feeling huge!! Thankfully, we’re having a colder than average May, so it’s not hot… My toddler managed to break his arm 2 weeks ago, so I have to waddle around after him and make sure he doesn’t do further damage in his cast, poor boo boo.

             Thank you so much for the well wishes 🙂

    2. I know! I’m excited! Do you guys wants an open post during the ceremony?

       1. I’m be totally down with that!!

          1. Oh yes please KMR that would be such fun. I hope all the toddlers come too – I bet Nikolas is close to walking.

       2. Yes! I will be at Six Flags. But I will check in. I hope that Leonore is squirmy and Nicolas be a runner. And Estelle will be the shepherd of them all. Omg. I can’t wait.

    3. Here’s the official guest list – Leonore and Nicolas will be there!!! 😀

       http://www.kungahuset.se/press/pressmeddelanden/2016pressmeddelanden/gastlistatillprinsoscarsdop.5.3c53a33153ef9563cd2f20.html

33. I can’t believe Sophie spent more than $7,000 on a dress. Sophie, no! Don’t let Kate rub off on you!

    1. Sophie does tend to buy really expensive designer dresses, but she tends to repeat them more often than Kate does.

       1. ? well, she works more often than Kate does, so she has a chance to repeat them

34. Thankyou. I like you article and loved the photos of the flowers. Just one thing. Is William really trying to look interested? He seemed distracted.

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