209 thoughts on “Kate Middleton sent message to EACH Gala Dinner”

1. I think W&K have decided that they’ve done enough for 2016. I suspect a Mustique getaway or an Alpine ski trip is in the works this month. Probably have flown there already. However, on the 20th is the Windsor Christmas lunch?/dinner? at BP which might count as an appearance.

   1. Mustique is usually after Christmas, in late January or early February. The Middletons used to spend every Easter skiing too like clockwork. Creatures of habit.

2. She attended the memorial service a few days ago so even if she is pregnant (which I don’t believe is the case) she was apparently well enough to attend an event yesterday or a week earlier.

   Sure Kate wasn’t scheduled to attend, because she probably didn’t commit to it the months before that EACH would have needed to set things up like security etc.

   The laziness is astounding. There are no excuses anymore. She didn’t speak in Canada or India so she should have any of those events count toward her total. Just physically being present means nothing. A mannequin could literally do the same.

   1. This. Yes, yes, yes.

   2. +1 absolutely

   3. +2

3. Let’s be honest, Rebecca sent a message to EACH in Kates name. So to me is almost as bad as not sending a message. I wonder if kate even cared enough to read the message since she can’t be bothered to do anything else. Sadly the media will praise kate for the message like she had any hand in it.

   I didn’t know she skipped the sports ball either. It was the 40th and of all times she should have gone. Seriously, the media needs to report this more instead of kissing her butt. How are we supposed to believe she cares so much for these charities?

   1. Sorry but I am really frustrated with Kate and her wasted opportunities. She just keeps showing her true colors.

4. It really irritates me that she gets to use the excuse of being a hands on mom when her kids are seen all around England with just their nannies and security team. She is also constantly spotted out and about running shopping errands. She is lazy. That’s it. Lazy and entitled. They both are. They cannot stand that things are expected of them and so they just refuse to do it because who is going to stop them?

   1. I truly think her being a royal was not her destiny or path as well as being a future Queen. Just like I think its not William’s destiny to be King.

   2. I think the word “selfish” also applies here, not just lazy and entitled. Like William, she does what she wants to do, when she wants to do it.

      She doesn’t want to do charity work, so she does as little of it as she can get away with.

      1. What a waste of time. Why bother being a patron if you cannot be bothered to show up? Didn’t 2016 start off with Katie Girl vowing to fill her diary? The diary is pretty sparse for almost the end of the year. Sad and pathetic. Someone really needs to sit these two down. Ask the question are you in or out? You cannot get all the benefits and luxurious life without putting in the work. Just my opinion. I find both of them awkward, lazy, entitled brats. Cut them off see how long they last. It wouldn’t last too long.

      2. +1

         If. she could get out to attend the Memorial for the DoW, who favored whiny and his family of 5+ to his jet for the UK peoples funded luxury vacations, then she could find time from colouring, carol, shopping to give back to especially needy and sick kids at this time of the year – when the RF is most needed to give some special time/spark to the less fortunate; after all that is handed for just exisiting – (and that km carol the middletons stalking -waity for 10 years for this free ride). She and willnot was given many staff and nannies/ nanny Maria to care for the kids so that they/km would be free to conduct duties for HM the BRF – (she prefer lazy and useless, while overspending tax payers funds).

         Willnot, middleton family, need to go away so Prince Harry is prepared for his destiny ( that is so loudly calling)!

5. Quote from Kate’s statment send to annual gala:
   ”…ACH delivers exceptional care and support across East Anglia and The Nook is vital for their vision of further transforming children’s palliative care in Norfolk. ”

   The woman lives in Norfolk. If you can’t find the time and put the energy into supporting a local charity, you shouldn’t be their patron. EACH should quietly find another high-profile patron and leave Kate behind. The Marchioness of Cholmondeley might be a better candidate as patron for the charity. If not her, then drop Kate anyway. Remove any mention of her patronage from your web site and any publications. Clearly the woman can’t get behind the charity (for whatever reasons) and does no favors by declining to put her presence behind their fundraising efforts.

   Kate knows that her presence brings attendance and attention to her patronages. And yet, she makes no effort for EACH. If her hubby won’t attend, she can take her sister to the gala. If Kate is unable to stomach the reality of the charity she chose (probably in haste) then she should drop out and find someone else to carry the patronage.

   From KMR:
   ”But I want to draw your attention to another big event for one of Kate’s patronages that she also skipped just recently: SportsAid’s 40th anniversary SportsBall held on November 24.”
   I was aware of this and was very puzzled that she ignored this charity because she has been extolled as a sport advocate — going back to her visit to St Andrews school when she played field hockey in her high-heeled boots while pregnant (unannounced) with George. Isn’t this the charity that held an even she attended just prior to her India bucket list visit?

   Nic 919
   ”Sure Kate wasn’t scheduled to attend, because she probably didn’t commit to it the months before that EACH would have needed to set things up like security etc.”
   You know darn well if she decided to attend after the initial announcement, arrangements could have been made in short order. She wants nothing to do with this charity and can’t figure out how to withdraw. So, she ignores the invitations.

   I think some charity choices were made in haste and clearly not thought about in any depth. It would have been better if she had chosen fewer charities and supported them with her appearance at their fundraising events and facility openings to publicize their work.

   What is odd about the November 30th events is that her parents attended the Tusk event with her husband. They couldn’t attend the EACH event with her?

   I don’t believe the ‘hands-on’ mom hot-air about taking care of the children. She has more than one nanny and could have easily attended this event while her husband went to another. It wouldn’t be the first or the last time that they had to attend events separately on the same day.

   Either Kate chose her charities in haste and regrets the choices so tries to avoid the events or there is a problem with her attending any events by herself that hasn’t come to light. In either case, she should not have become patron when she clearly could not perform the duties of the position. Her lack of participation in the large annual charity events makes her appear inept and/or lazy. And that reflects on herself and her husband: the future King and Queen. Has she learned nothing about being a patron over the last five years? It seems so. EACH and SportsAid could find a better patron and they should. IMO.

   1. She has more than one nanny? I only knew about Maria. Well, and if course Carol.

   2. “What is odd about the November 30th events is that her parents attended the Tusk event with her husband. They couldn’t attend the EACH event with her?”

      Ah, but Jecca Craig most likely was at the Tusk dinner, since she serves on Tusk’s Appeals Board. And you know that Carole is going to make sure to guard her investment and serve as a visual reminder to William of whom he is supposed to be devoted to.

      1. Excellent point, Lizzie. William never brings KM to Tusk events. I wonder if he knew the Middletons had purchased tickets, or if it was a surprise to see them there watching him.

      2. Ooooh, interesting theory. If true (and I hope it is), then she really is calculating.

         1. Though Kate has attended before – I think it was her first engagement back after having George and she wore that sparkling Jenny Peckham gown.

   3. EACH has Ed Sheeran who does way more for EACH than Kate ever has. Thankfully Ed really supports them, they’re lucky to have him!

      Her not showing up to the SportsAid Gala or the EACH Gala is just horrendous. I want to say despicable, because she spends $250k/year on clothes and doesn’t do the bare minimum. People keep making excuses for her.

      These charities deserve so much better.

      1. I love Ed Sheeran!

      2. Not to mention that she showed up after recently being accidentally slashed by Princess Beatrice! That’s dedication.

         1. How awesome would it have been if he had shown up with Beatrice as his date?? I think that would have been amazing! 🙂

   4. I know it would never happen but I’d love for one of her patronages to publicly part ways with her.

      1. So would I, Sarah. Why do any of these charities feel the need to tolerate KM as their patron? She is outright rude and indifferent to their causes. She is an embarrassment.

         1. I would totally give my allotted charitable giving to that one charity if they ever got the gumption to do it!! =)
            I know a charity would never do something like that but a girl can dream

      2. EACH tried to part ways with her, but the courtiers squashed that idea.

         That’s when they signed up Ed Sheeran.

         1. Who are these courtiers and why do they have such power?

            1. Think of them as civil servants.

               At the end of the day, they are trying to keep the idea of monarchy going. They have to keep the show on the road despite the players involved.

               It would have been utterly scandalous for Kate to be fired by EACH because that might have had a domino effect not wanted by the establishment.

               So they patched up EACH’s sore feelings and Kate was kept on.

               It’s interesting though that they took on another celebrity, and they started putting on more gala events. Perhaps they’s noticed that Kate didn’t show up unless there was a gala involved and or no sivk children in sight.

            2. Thanks for the reply. It’s a shame Kate wasn’t advised to get her act together and/or given compulsory instruction on how to be an effective patron. Clearly, William’s guidance of doing as little as possible has been followed too closely.

               EACH clearly has needed to enlist others and work around their reluctant patron. I’m amazed that Kate was not mortified that a charity would be so fed up with her performance that they wanted to dump her. You’d think she’d take it on board and work really hard.

      3. I would love that too Sarah. Wasn’t there one charity at the beginning who tried quietly to get rid of Kate? I remember KMR talking about it

         1. That was EACH

            1. How do you know this? I’m not doubting you, but that seems like big news.

            2. There was some press about it, but then it was quickly quashed.

               There are a number of negative stories that have been pulled from the internet in recent years.

               Some tumblrs have taken to copy/pasting articles on royals for this very reason so that they can preserve them.

            3. Thank you. It seems in order to get the truth, you really have to follow the royal reporters and document everything they say.

            4. Jet Texas: true. Especially their twitter accounts.

               They have conversations between themselves that don’t show up in their articles.

               Not just reporters, but othrrs who have had some contact with the royals in different capacities eg Darren McGrady who was a royal chef will comment on royal stories from time to time.

               He also once had a twitter exchange with Victoria Arbiter in which they pretty much confirmed that William was both difficult AND that he routinely pulled the Diana card which paralysed CH/BP.

               Tanna has been completely frozen out so his twitter isn’t as interesting anymore, but he will occassionally comment on royal stories.

            5. He still gets the occasional bone thrown at him. Tanna was one of the few to break the news that Jecca and Baillie were already married (his twitter Oct 2015). I expect that came straight from the Middletons as a secret tip.

   5. She carol, the middletons snobs has no time for the regular people or know anything about sacrifice, duty and giving back, except stalking for a prince and titles.

6. Odd that Kate attended black-tie dinners for both charities back in June within just about a week of each other (June 13th SportsAid at KP and then June 22nd EACH dinner in Norfolk) but neither the main highlighted gala of either charity this month. It’s almost like she looks at her very short list of charities, and then checks off one black-tie event for each (if they’re very lucky and it’s convenient for her) and then one message for each per year. (She–or Becca Deacon–sent a congratulatory letter to SportsAid way, way back in April.)

   What is she afraid of—overexposing herself? No danger in that. Setting too high expectations? Well, she can’t go much lower than what the public has learned to expect at present. Leading organizations to believe that she’s starting a tradition? No one dares to suggest that after the Irish Guards fiasco.

   And if she happens to be concerned about over-exposing herself, she’s done that already with the gorgeous Ben Ainslie. Didn’t busy, hands-on mom Kate manage to find the time to do two “working” engagements with Sir Ben this year? One which lasted the better part of the day and required several wardrobe changes?

   Yep, we know where Kate’s true interests lie.

   1. What was the excuse for the Saint Patrick no go? That she didn’t want charities to have certain expectations she would do them or some such nonsense? I think the expectations with her are quite low and that more often than not that she won’t attend.

      1. “While the Duchess has accompanied the Duke every year since his appointment in 2012, and will do so again in future, this year she sadly could not make it because she is prioritising time with her children before next month’s tour of India and Bhutan.”–KP spokesman, as quoted in the Daily Express

         This came just one week after their family’s secret holiday in Courchevel. Did she spend all of her time on the slopes and not prioritise the children then, so that she had to break the 115-year-old tradition the next week? So self-indulgent she and William are and Jason Knauf’s lies can’t cover it all up.

         1. That excuse was given after reporters threatened to write up the real reason she cancelled which they all tweeted about.

            She/KP told reporters that she didn’t want to create expectations that she would show up every year.

            The annual appointment was in the royal diary upto a week before that cancellation.

            After the initial excuse started to create a twitter storm, KP rushed out the second excuse that she was prioritising her children ahead of the india tour.

            ….but she then threw egg on that excuse by showing up at EACH Norfolk store with newly done hair ie newly coloured and cut.

            Considering she had attended a service at St Paul’s 2 days before the Norfolk engagement, with longer hair, and we know her hair appts take upto 6hrs, the general consensus was that she’s opted out of the Irish Guards to do her hair.

            Btw, she stayed at the Norfolk engagement for exactly 30mins.

            1. Thanks, Herazeus. I had thought that had been the original reason, but couldn’t find an article on it anywhere. And now I do remember her gorgeous new hair-do at the brief EACH engagement and all the critical comments it generated. KP/Jason Knauf’s spins and outright lies can’t hide what her real priorities are.

   2. Lizzie, the black tie affairs in June, any idea if they were ‘major donor dinners’?

      It would fit that they would use a name such as Kate to dangle in front of donors to give big. With some of the charities I work with, we do the same. Giving above a certain (high) level means you get invited to the annual donor’s dinner and get to meet the board, the ambassadors, ball hosts, etc. some of who are very well known.

      I’d also be interested in how many events Prince Charles and Camilla attend for each of thier many patronages each year. I bet it’s around 1 per year. …although it’s hard to compare people who support 300+ patronages each to someone who has ?less than 20?

      1. Yes, Linds, I know the EACH dinner was for major donors (expected to raise 100,000 pounds, with tickets costing 10,000 pounds–not sure why the total raised wasn’t greater) and the SportsAid event included a dinner for donors, etc., following a more private reception for the athletes. So I had wondered if these earlier events were too similar to the end-of-year galas for her to attend. Do you think that the end-of-year events would include a broader range of people? If so, having the royal patron present would still be an incredible boost to encouraging people to attend, just to say that you were at the same event as Kate…..while the major donors were rewarded with a more intimate evening with her. So I honestly don’t see why there would be a conflict with attending both sets of events. Or, at the very least, sending a video message and perhaps donating an item to be auctioned.

         1. There is never an excuse to not raise more money. She should be attending a charity dinner a month, minimum.

            For the St Andrews event in NY, the majority of the people who attended weren’t allowed anywhere near W&K. They were at a table that was set apart and the dirty unwashed (ie. people who had purchased most of the tickets) weren’t allowed near them.

            If nothing else, W&K should have spent that evening in NYC circling the tables and making sure each table got individual attention from one of the two royals present.

            Then again, the St Andrews lunch event the same day without W&K raised more money than the dinner event with W&K. They had to remove tables at the dinner to call it a sold out event.

7. I support two charities with my time in addition to monetary donations. I work so the free time is evenings or weekends. Often they ask for commitments at times that I can’t promise. However, I do let them know of time blocks where I am available to help them so they can plan events. I keep my time commitments, no matter how small they may be to the charity. To their credit, if my time doesn’t match up with what they need, they let me know. It doesn’t stop me from signing up for time blocks and events in future so they know that they have help available.

   I don’t see commitment from Kate to the very few charities she chose.

   1. Congratulations GraceH for your support of these two charities. It’s great. And yes, Kate is not commited to her charities but she doesn’t disappoint me anymore. I always wait this from her.

   2. I work full time but make the time to volunteer my time to local charities. I go to a community outreach that helps homeless people with their pets and a rescue that specializes in caring for special needs cats. I don’t do it for praise or it’s expected but for love. I also donate money (when possible) and time via calls and letter writing for other groups. So I’m tired of chutneys sugars making excuses. Kate when you married billy you signed up for the whole nine yards so get your butt in gear

      1. Your last sentence is absolutely IT VickiV!

      2. I don’t think Kate understood what she was singing up for. She probably thought of it as glamour, privilege and adoration (since William was still loved by the public before marriage) and it would definitely be a win over all the people (press and William’s friends) who had ridiculed her. The reality of preparing for an engagement, travelling, hours of small talk and looking interested in front of cameras and having every thing you do and say dissected would is not what she imagined I bet.

8. Really disappointing and I expect very little from Kate. The modern role of the monarchy is increasingly obscure but drawing attention to good causes is one of the things they are there for. When Kate first picked her charity patronages, some of her fans said that the small number meant that she could give them more attention, but that just hasn’t happened. She has, what, 10 charitable patronages? She can’t give each at least a week’s worth of visits and other engagements each year? She’d still have 42 weeks left to shop, make chutney and colour in. As it is, it just doesn’t look like she cares, even about really deserving causes.

   It’d be nice to talk about more than Kate’s hair or clothing, or shopping bill, but she gives nothing of substance which can be appreciated. Thank goodness Each have Ed Sheeran and that race horse, both of whom are helping far more than their royal patron.

9. Thanks for linking to my post!! I’m sorry that she’s done SportAid this way too.

   1. I really enjoy your blog! Found it from a comment earlier about it and I had to comment as it’s so disappointing, but anyway, I like your blog. 🙂

   2. You are quite generous in your assessment of her contribution to EACH. She’s always been lacklustre in her support for EACH. It’s the one charity that she routinely ignores.

      I could write you a fact based essay on the many ways she’s disappointed EACH to extent that their chief executive once publicly commented on it, but that won’t change the fact that EACH is stuck with her.

      We used to joke that EACH had to start throwing gala events at her preferred patronages of NPG or NHM because she always showed up for events at those patronages.

      Clearly that is also not doing the trick. Perhaps sign up Ben Ainslie? You might see Kate more.

      Ed Sheeran has been a wonderful ambassador since he was signed up. He clearly cares and is willing to support the charity.

      I am willing to bet that Kate signed up to EACH because she had to sign up to a number of charities and this one was thought to be an easy one. Like ticking a box on a form without thought to real life consequences.

   3. Trisha,
      I enjoyed reading your blog post. Thank you for articulating your disappointment as you have. You are certainly not the only one disappointed that Kate didn’t show up for this event. I completely agree with you. I keep hoping that Kate will step up, and I keep seeing her miss out on opportunities to make a difference and I am truly frustrated at this point. One can only hope that if more bloggers like you and KMR bring attention to this issue that perhaps Kate’s staff will find these articles online and tell Kate about it. I don’t expect Kate to be Diana, but I do expect her to follow through when she makes a commitment to be an ambassador for a great organization that does so much for children and their families like EACH does. Please do continue to champion this cause as you have been. And bravo to Ed Sheeran as well for performing at this gala. I don’t know very much about him, but if this was his only live performance this year it is clear that this cause is important to him and I respect that and hope he continues to work with EACH in the future.

10. I’m deeply disappointed with Kate. You’d think that as a mother she’d care particularly much about children’s charities and do her utmost to support them. When you have children yourself, you should really understand how vulnerable children are.

11. The DM once wrote the article below about Kate’s commitment to charity.
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1048599/And-DO-Queen-wants-Kate-Middleton-charity-job-counter-claims-workshy.html

    The details of her lacklustre response to charity and working in general were as true in 2008 as they are today.

    Same ol’ same ol’

    1. Holy heck, basically just copy and paste the current date on that article. Shocking how little things have changed. Is is breathtaking arrogance or willful ignorance? I really can’t tell, but I guess we should all just stop expecting things are going to look up with these two. They are already doing more than probably they ever wanted to. I believe this is their limit.

    2. Apparently Kate was even ‘keen’ back then, lol

       1. I LOLed at that too! Well at least she’s consistent in how “keen” she always is to work more.

    3. I had to laugh at the word ‘keen’ used a couple of times in that article. The picture accompanying the article – of two off- their-faces drunk brats – is none too flattering either. Not much has changed, has it?

       I wonder if EACH or Sportsaid actually invited Kate to their respective dinners? Especially if EACH has come to the conclusion that Kate gives so little that it’s not worth the effort to engage? Same with Sportsaid; they’ve probably moved on since Kate has been MIA since 2013. No point in trying to ditch someone with status and connections, so best to suck it up, move on and sidestep her.

       1. They had to have if she was able to send a message for that night I would assume?

          1. I would have thought so. People would wonder why the patron was not in attendance. No message to Sportsaid so probably no invite. Since EACH is tired of her, and appointed other patrons, they may not have pressed the invitation, content to read a message from their MIA patron. Kate’s face is saved and they are spared the bother.

12. I can imagine KM thinking “I went to that stupid cat movie, what more do people want?”

    She just doesn’t get it.

    But by now everyone should understand that working isn’t her thing. Caring about people isn’t her thing. Staying put where Mummy can take care of her is her thing.

    1. Kate’s cousin said it best: Kate isn’t interested in anything but herself and her own orbit and finds it difficult to rouse any interest or care for anything that isn’t about her.

       1. Kate’s cousin said that? Damn!!! That’s harsh and very true.

          1. Overit, during the engagement she showed up to some event Kate was at who made a bunch of vapid comments about her (really garbled and ridiculous sounding, I remember going WTF Kate did you ever go to school?), and Kate’s cousin said that in a sort of kind way like aw look at the nice middle class girl. I’ll go try to find the comments themselves.

             1. I remember that engagement. The cousin was being complimentary and ended up revealing this nugget of information that explains Kate’s inability to engage in people.

                https://www.popsugar.co.uk/celebrity/Kate-Middleton-Prince-William-Visit-Cambridge-University-26098629#photo-26098629

                Kate acted surprised to see the cousin and the media sort of ambushed the cousin into making comments about Kate almost immediately Kate had passed by.

             2. Thanks for replying, HZ, I was wondering if you’d remember what I was talking about! I couldn’t find the comments precisely when I googled.

                I thought it was during the engagement but I guess it was later 🙂

             3. Herezeus that link made me laugh because it reminded me of how Kate accidentally wore the belt on that coat upside down! ?

                Doesn’t she have an entire damn TEAM of people responsible for making sure things like that don’t happen??

             4. Herazeus, the link just took me to a bunch of slides. Does it talk about the cousin on one of the slides? Thanks

             5. Ellie/Overit: IIRC, they had a few engagements that day and the one with the cousin was one of them. Once WK were on their way out of that particular engagement, the media rushed the cousin.

                The cousin was on the lead story on the news with her comments. The print media story appears to have been removed from the internet so i can’t find it anymore except for this popsugar article showcasing her clothing. The AP video has been edited into a highlights reel and the cousin’s comments have been cut short. Off to royal blog to find original video. Will post later.

                I’ve noticed that more negative/negatively received articles are being removed from the internet. It’s harder to find original links to things unless you go to a royal blog that has copied the story into their blog.

       2. KM’s actions past and present certainly give credence to this statement.

13. I don’t support the idea of Beatrice and Eugenie having enormous public funds given to them as full time royals (the public just won’t tolerate that many royals anymore) but I can’t help but feel sorry for them that they are not in a different position. I bet they were would go to heaps of events and be really interested.

    1. I have to agree Ribbons. It’s really to bad they can’t play a larger role since Kate seems unwilling too.

    2. Princess Beatrice went to a Russian orphanage didn’t she? I think she visited with her mother. Eugenie didn’t go as she was under 18 years old at the time. Imagine the bleak setting of those sweet children. Not much hope of being adopted.

    3. Also agree. Bea and Eugenie are involved with charities close to their hearts (Bea=dyslexia and Eugenie=hospital that did the surgery on her spine) and whenever they’re doing events, you can tell that they’re genuinely interested and want to help people. Sucks that they aren’t able to be of more service to the family and firm. I’m sure granny and grandpa would appreciate someone putting in the time, effort and sincerity.

       1. I would of thought that Beatrice’s and Eugenie’s efforts would get them a job in the Royal firm too. If Charles thinks Kate is going to step up when he becomes King he is clearly deluded. I just think that Charles wants the focus on him and Camilla. But both of them are slowing down and I would of thought that the young Royals and Edward and Sophie would be able to manage the load.

       2. I like that they have their charities they like but there’s no need for them to have their charitable work linked to the firm and thus getting paid for it.

          1. Excellent point, Sarah. It’s a personal choice for Bea and Eugenie to spend their own time on these very worthy charities – and good on them – but to then suggest they should be on the royal payroll is a big leap. Many people on this blog offer their time, expertise and money to causes close to their hearts. There is no expectation of reward. I don’t see the difference in the case of Bea and Eugenie.

             Please correct me if I am wrong but the royals comprising the Way Ahead group c. 20 years ago met to discuss Charles’s desire to slim down the monarchy. So two decades have passed for the York’s to make alternate plans for their futures? Clearly Andrew does not want to see his daughters’ status and lifestyle diminished but there has been plenty of time for all parties to resolve this issue.

             Both Bea and Eugenie have received excellent educations, are wealthy due to their heritage and live well. There is no need for the state to support them. If they are required to attend certain state occasions as part of the British Royal family, I’d class that as ‘giving back’ to the country that has supported them and continues to do so in several forms.

             All royals are used to deference, privilege. This can be corrosive, leading to entitlement and an inflated idea of one’s worth. I imagine it’s pretty easy to get used to and very hard to relinquish. I said in another post that the consistency of work – turning up each day, in service to an employer – is difficult for royals to adjust to simply because their lives are about their needs being met by others. But that is no reason to keep the system intact. The royals need to adjust.

             Royalty is often touted as being ‘leaders’. Since the UK is experiencing economic and social upheaval, surely leaders should lead by providing an example? In this case, taking less from the public purse, substantially less.

             1. I forgot to add this interesting and authoritative backgrounder about Bea and Eugenie: http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com.au/2016/10/what-to-do-about-york-princesses.html

             2. Thanks for the link. I liked how informed the article was but have to disagree with the benefits of having them as part time working royals.
                I do agree that people dislike them because of their parents but that’s not the only reason. They’re a culmination of several reasons for me. I don’t believe in disliking a child becuase of who their parents are but both girls have a perception problem both real and perceived. In a time when more and more people are questioning the role of the monarchy, having the grandkids of recent monarch might give some acceptability but then they’ll be niece/cousin of monarch. I understand that the Kents do lots of work but times are changing and these girls are well educated and well connected. They should be able to find their own way. A way that doesn’t include being on the Royal payroll =)

             3. From that article:
                “An aide to the Princesses told Eden: “They have grown up to respect their heritage and acknowledge their privileged upbringing. They will do their bit for the Royal Family, but they want to make their mark on life first – do well at university, pursue a successful career and be independent.””

                That statement may have been from 2008. It was a good plan then, and an even better plan now. Should William ascend the throne, can you imagine what he’d put them through? And who knows if the monarchy will survive after the Queen dies and/or for how long? Better to sort out their lives now, even if the transition is a bit bumpy.

                I think both yearn for the freer lifestyle and economic advantages that a working royal receives. It appears that Andrew has simply refused to accept the Way Ahead decisions of 20 years ago. Bea and Eugenie have bought into the idea that all will be sorted to their advantage. Both are able to pursue careers and earn independence while still contributing from time to time to BRF occasions and pursuing charitable causes. I think the key to a happier life for each is to honour paid work commitments first and foremost, and fit RF and other interests and social engagements around that, where and if possible.

          2. Whose funds Beatrice and Eugenie’s charities though? Eugenie, Beatrice and Sophie, even Camilla put effort into their work. I think Kate feels apprehensive over meeting sick and vulnerable people.

             1. I’m not sure, Laura. I assumed that these charities already existed and Bea and Eugenie agreed to act as patrons. Maybe they started the charities, and/or perform administrative tasks such as finding funding etc? I’m sure someone here will know.

             2. Some already existed whilst others were started from scratch.

                Beatrice periodically raises funding for some of her causes eg the proceeds from the sale of her much ridiculed wedding hat went to Unicef and Children in crisis. That hat raised £80K.

                In September 2016, she helped raise £1M for her charity Big Change. The money is earmarked for dyslexia causes.

                Eugenie periodically attends events at her patronage, the Royal National Orthopeadic Hospital and personally helped raise money for their new redevelopment appeal when they needed it.

             3. Eugenie designed the fund raising bracelet for the hospital as part of her appeal.

                http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/princess-eugenie-designs-bracelets-raise-7352734

14. I can’t recall the last time Kate visited an EACH charity and spent time with the children there and their parents. She visited a Nook in March but I mean an actual hospice.

    I wonder how many heads of Kate’s charities are trying/wanting to get rid of her as their patron? It’s not like she brings anything to the table, all the press will talk about is what she wore and how her hair looks, she won’t say anything about the charity or what they hope to accomplish and her charities are lucky to get a once a year visit (more if you are Sir Ben, less if you are sick children).

    I have to wonder how she looks at herself in the mirror in the morning and justifies her lifestyle without giving a second thought to others in need?

    1. The Midds are grifters (thank you, Herazeus for using that term in reference to the Cambs a few posts back) and seem to rewrite their family and self narratives so often to square with public opinion. I don’t think they take a moment to understand how false and selfish they are.

15. By the way, several gossip sites are reporting on Kate missing this event and so far the comments have been about what they are here. It will be interesting to see how KP deals with this round of bad press.

    1. When Will was outed as having done FA for the FA, it was quickly announced that he would attend x football activities. Perhaps a quickie engagement before the Christmas walk will be announced soon.

    2. I’m sure they will fumble this as they typically do with PR.

16. I think Rebecca is certainly earning her wages. I hope Rebecca gets a Christmas bonus this year including a Christmas pudding, Christmas cake and tons of Mince pies. The language especially in the middle paragraph shows a professional touch. Kate not turning up at galas for her Charities demonstrates zero effort and interest. Couldn’t Kate go without William and show how she has learnt from his guidance. The ‘Waiting years’, shows that she clearly can’t or is not willingly to change. What infuriates me is that on Christmas day she will be dressed nicely and smiling and waving.

    1. Rebecca Deacon’s devotion to Kate is beyond puzzling to me. I mean, here’s a young woman, whose family is closely tied to the army, and whose mother became a widow at a very young age, raising three daughters and managing to find time and energy to become a vicar. Being raised in such a family with such an amazing role model, you’d have to see first hand the characteristics of selflessness, intelligence, empathy, devotion, dedication, leadership, altruism, etc., and then what do you do? You go and work for one of the most work-shy, dependent, self-centered, shallow women on the planet? I just don’t get it.

       1. She may see bringing Kate up to scratch as service to her country.

    2. Maybe Kate will make her some chutney ?

17. Sigh….

    I just don’t get it (or her). She’s either being a spoiled brat, something is very wrong and instead of addressing it, it’s being severely covered up or a combo of the two. I’m in my 30s (like Kate), work, and am able to support people via social media–it’s not that hard to be of service to others but, of course, you have to want to help to do something for the greater good.

    Update in my personal life and connected with helping people/charity work/etc.: I’m doing a Spoonie Christmas Challenge (it’s not as dirty as it sounds 😉 ) right now. It’s where every day, you answer a question or comment on something related to your illness(es) and whatnot. It started yesterday and I’ve already posted it on my personal FB page and hope to connect it to my public page (the one I created a few months ago) some time today. It’ll be interesting to answer these questions and educate at the same time.

    Update in my personal life: I found an apartment!! I signed the lease Wednesday evening!! I move in on/around January 12th!! YAY!! After Christmas/New Year/my birthday (January 3rd and yes it sucks having a birthday right after the holidays). Unfortunately, I got uber sick on Thanksgiving Day but it only seemed to have lasted for 24 hours (yay!) and was surprisingly able to eat some of the meal that my cousin made (he’s a chef and made two turkeys: one on the grill and in the stove–I had a bit of both but the stove-made turkey was better).

    1. Congrats on your new place. I hope you have many happy years in your new home.

    2. So glad to hear that the apartment issue is sorted and hope it is even better than the current one. It’s a hassle moving but also a new start in some ways. So best of luck and I’m assuming family will help with the actual moving. I trust your supervisor issue has been resolved too; that was really worrying to hear. Such behaviour would never, ever have been acceptable here. Good on you for continuing with your education outreach work too and hope your health is steady overall.

       As for Kate, she takes her cues entirely from William. If Harry defers to him, Kate most certainly will as well. The problem in the mix is also the full-on PR painting of Kate as – among other things – a philanthropist, style icon, humanitarian, when she is none of those things; she is simply not interested in others. Her ambition, like Pippa’s, was to marry up, living off a man’s wealth and position. And while PR spins the Cambridge’s till they are giddy, and William holds his family to ransom, nothing will change. The Cambridge’s feel they hold all the cards.

    3. Congratulations, Kimothy. You are the opposite of KM. You are bright, industrious, courageous and true to your word. I wish you the very best.

    4. Must be a huge relief and now you can enjoy the holdiays without stressing too much!

       1. Hi, Kimothy, all the best to you in your new digs. Nice that you have found a place and now you can relax a bit and enjoy the holidays and the upcoming celebration of your birthday. 2017 should be a banner year for you. Do you have much to pack for the move? Hope you have people to help you!

          1. jenny,

             Girl, I’ve got a lot to pack!! 3.5 bookshelves (1.5 for books, 1 for medical stuff, and 1 for odds and ends), clothes, CDs, etc…. 😉

    5. Congratulations on your new place! I hope you settle in quickly and make it a comfy home. If you really want a tasty turkey, you’ve got to deep fry it. That’s how my husband’s family cooks turkeys, and I will never go back to oven. So juicy. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

       1. Congrats Kimothy on your new apartment. I hope you have many happy years and make a ton of good memories.
          I hope you are feeling better and it is good that you were able to have some turkey. It is frustrating to be ill over the holidays.

    6. Great news. How are your legs and tootsies? As ever you are an inspiration and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

       1. Hey Birdy!

          My legs and tootsies are doing alright, thank you for asking!! I got my first Christmas card in the mail yesterday so–eek!–I need to get started on sending out mine!!

          I’m leaving for Tampa on the 16th and won’t be back to Tally until the 26th. Unfortunately, I have to border my sweet Missy and I absolutely hate doing it but, while she’s as cute (and sweet) as she can be, she’s not allowed on the bus. My annual check up is on the 20th and it’s just easier to take that week off. I’m going to be typing my “year in review” so that my transplant team will know what’s been going on throughout 2016. They appreciate that I do that and will be stunned to learn that I had shingles in March!

          On the 16th, I’ll be getting my first ever tattoo with my sisters! (Don’t worry, I checked with my transplant team. They’re okay with it and just want me to make sure it’s a clean and well-reputed place. My first sister (Mel) has 4 tattoos and she’s already been looking up places for us.) I’m excited and nervous! I also have an idea in my head and I hope the artist can at least draw it on paper so that I can get that one done too!!

          And I hope to catch-up with some childhood friends as well!

          1. I love the fact you live every day to the full, something us so called healthier people should do. Enjoy and take care and pack carefully.

          2. I get nostalgic when you talk about Tally because I spent my summers there growing up with my huge family, all the cousins and stuff. We just went back in October and it was so different from what I remember! I’m so glad you got a place, that’s super exciting.

18. Ugh, I just can’t. I talked about my frustrations with them yesterday.
    I know it was reported that Williams resented the work his parents did but when he’s idolizing normalcy, what does he think the average person works and thus able to see their children? I see my sister and friends struggle to find a balance between work and kid time. Most people work between 8-12 hrs a day thus limiting time.
    Just makes me mad that they either don’t seem to get or don’t care.
    I’d love for a revolt=)

    1. Would absolutely love to see people protesting at their events, but I get the impression that most of the British public is just apathetic about William and Kate, not quite yet at the boiling point.

       1. It will be interesting to see what the tipping point will be.

       2. I think the problem is that people are more apathetic than upset with these two.
          The crowds don’t seem to turn out to see them. When I see pics from Letiza or maxima events there seem to be tons of peeps there compared to what turns out for them.

       3. A lot of people still think they’re down to earth, wonderful people.

          The wool is happily pulled over the public’s eye. Aw, look, kids! Deflect!

19. I would think that with all the attention on someone else that Kate would have hotfooted it out the door, dressed to the nines, and taken back what she seems to consider her rightful place in the spotlight. Personally, I don’t think that any of the ‘royals’ make a lot of difference in donations to charities, but that’s an American point of view, but still this was her chance to pose and preen and she passed it up? KMR said she wasn’t scheduled, just think if she had shown up and surprised everyone. What a missed opportunity. Whatever I may think of the queen, she made a bride’s day even more memorable by appearing at her wedding. It truly was a heart warming sight. A few minutes, and a memory to last a lifetime.
    I need to qualify my remark a tiny bit, I do think that some celebrities **can and do** make a difference, but for me they are mainly sports heros that young people look up to. Celebrities, not so much, but then again I have long since stopped reading “People” so what do I know.

    1. royalsareajoke,

       I can tell you about one celebrity who really does a lot for their home town. Dolly Parton. I live in East Tennessee, very close by to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, where Dolly grew up, and the Smokey Mountains have been through hell lately. We had horrible wildfires that lit up the mountain and destroyed at least 70 homes, business, and claimed the lives of at least 7 people with others still missing and some still in the hospital with terrible burns. We are devastated right now.

       Dolly has built her theme park, Dollywood, which has made countless jobs for those in her community. And Dolly has made her hometown a tourist attraction almost single handedly.

       Beyond that, she has established her Imagination Library that gives every baby whose parents register a brand new book every month for the first five years of their lives. I worked at the public library in my city and helped organize some of these books to be shipped to children.

       And right now, just today, Dolly has put together a fundraiser to provide $1,000 for each family who has lost their homes due to the devastating wildfires we have had here in East Tennessee because she says she believes that “charity begins at home.”

       I’m not even a country music fan, but let me tell you as an East Tennessean, Dolly Parton has all of our respect for everything she has done for this community. And most people outside of Tennessee don’t even know about how much she has done. She really cares and goes above and beyond to give back to her community. She was born in poverty and became incredibly rich, but she never forgot her roots and she made it her mission in life to elevate the situations of those who lived in the rural part of East Tennessee where she grew up. She is wonderful.

       Kate has a very long way to go before I would ever even consider calling her a humanitarian. Kate doesn’t care about anything but getting her hair done and buying her next over priced pair of beige shoes. She can have several seats as far as I am concerned.

       1. Thanks for sharing.That’s a wonderful use of fame by Dolly Parton. Truly deserves the term ‘humanitarian’. The initiatives set up will grow the community now but also into the future, especially with the book donation every month. That’s a real gift.

          1. You are welcome, Jen. 🙂 The Imagination Library is a great initiative and it has spread all over the world, too.

       2. Cookie, I just read about Dolly Parton, and you’re absolutely right, she’s awesome, absolutely awesome. I’m not from the South, I’m not a fan of country music either, but I love this woman. OT, but she appeared on Reba, and Reba is a quiet supporter of a children’s village outside of Las Vegas. I should be a tad bit more careful in painting with such a broad brush. A whole lot of charity work is done quietly and without fanfare, but with Dolly Parton in this case she is so loved by so many people that her making this public does so much good:)
          Kate. No comparison in any universe. Ever.

          Oh, I’m being so unkind and unfair to this poor beleaguered woman/child. She may up the sales of adult colouring books.

          1. I have heard Reba is a lovely woman, too. I think that Harrison Ford also does a lot of charity work but he just keeps it quiet.
             I think that’s why Kate frustrates me so much. She could do so much more and she just has no desire to at all. She does the bare minimum and when she does make an appearance it is obvious she would rather be anywhere else.

       3. I **love** Dolly!! I’m a huge reader and love her support (and the reason behind it–apparently her own father couldn’t read hence why she started that foundation). I missed her Christmas movie from the other night so I hope NBC re-airs it!

          P.S. I love Reba too!! They are both forces to be reckoned with!

          1. She has a couple Christmas ones. Which is your favorite?

             I really like Blue Valley Songbird, not a Christmas movie, but one where I think she did a solid acting job.

             1. The one that **just** came out this week: Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love (something like that).

             2. Thanks! It looks like you might be able to watch it online for a short period.

                http://www.nbc.com/christmas-of-many-colors

             3. Thank you so much!! Dolly is a legend and the fact that she remembers/cherishes her roots (and appreciates what her parents did for her and her siblings) is so beautiful!!

          2. What I like about dolly besides that she seems to be good people, is that she owns up to all the plastic surgery/wigs and what not. I disdain the celebs/people who try and ignore they had work done or had a nose job because of “deviated septum” if it was important enough for you to get it done, just be honest and say so.

          3. Kimothy, Yes, I have heard that is why this cause is close to Dolly’s heart. Her father was illiterate and she grew up extremely poor in a one room cabin with many, many siblings. I love her too!

       4. Cookie, so glad that you are ok. I grew up in the northwest corner of SC and your little corner of Tennessee is very special to me, too–one of my favorite parts of the country. Most of my family still live in the TN/NC/SC mountains and many have been affected by the fires but no one injured, thankfully. It’s been so hard to watch and hear of the devastation. You are so very right–it would be hard to match Dolly Parton’s generosity and love for her home. She is a true example of someone who gives fully and selflessly, and doesn’t just show up at galas to have the spotlight shine on her alone.

          1. Thank you, Lizzie! It really breaks my heart to see what has happened to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge and I hope all of your friends and family are OK. Last night a friend of mine said that the fire at Chimney Tops (I think) is only 10 percent contained, so we really need more rain.
             It does make me feel good to see how the community is coming together, though. People have donated money, food, and animals shelters are taking in animals of those who have lost their homes. Dolly is trying to get $1,000 per month for each family who lost their homes until they can get on their feet. And I have been searching around for different churches who are trying to get clothes, coats, and even Christmas presents for the children who lost their homes. So many people are trying to do good things. Maybe that’s part of the reason why I got so upset when I heard that Kate couldn’t be bothered to attend a gala, just to get dressed up, go to a dinner, pose for some pictures, and chat with people for a few hours. Kate normally likes these glamorous events.

             I wonder how William and Kate would act if there was a natural disaster close by to where I live like what is happening near me right now. I can recall that shortly after he marriage, Kate visited people who had their businesses destroyed from a riot (at least I think it was a riot) and she wore a brand new, Alexander McQueen outfit to visit these people who lost their jobs and her outfit costs thousands of dollars. Unbelievable!!!!

             1. That’s so good of you, Cookie! Hoping and praying for more rain!

20. I don’t think she is pregnant either but she did look pale and drawn in her most recent engagement, so maybe she is sick or something else is going on behind the scenes

21. Rather an insult, isn’t it, to send this nothingburger of a generic message written by someone else? Can’t EACH ditch her?

    1. It’s very arrogant of her. The letter is actually a prepared speech. She and Rebecca were too lazy to rewrite it as a goodwill message after KM decided it was too much trouble to atttend. These people are beyond the pale of what are decent and good manners. But she has a long history of not responding to invitations or not following through after agreeing to help out at charity events.

22. I think KM should be doing at least 1 day of engagements per week. Every. Single. Week. and then one day of “office work”. Writing letters, penning these sorts of statements, and having private meetings. That would still leave her five whole days a week to “spend with her children”. Plus, isn’t George in preschool now? So it’s probably just Charlotte at home all day. This is just insane to me. She does so little work. She needs to start consistently showing up at events and actively participating or the halo glow that the media has given her is going to wear down.

23. This is really inexcusable. I wonder if the Palace will address the backlash to this one.

24. I hope she was really sick or something instead of not wanting to go or is on vacation. she could have sent a video message of her speech that would have been cool.It would have showed some effort and a video message is a bit more personal I think. This is why I don’t buy into her charity work. I know she may have impressed people recently, but they always do something to show their true colors so to speak.

    1. Uh no offense but on vacation? Isn’t her whole existence pretty much on vacation with some “work” sprinkled throughout?
       Don’t they essentially take end of December-Jan off?

       1. *shrugs, They always go on vacation to Mustique or somewhere during this time of year, thats why I made the vacation reference

          1. We’ll see at her next appearance, because they can’t resist tanning.

             1. That’s if they don’t go to any ski resorts 😛

          2. Mustique isn’t usually until after Christmas. Late January or early February. Maybe they’ll take a break from that and start getting free stays at the future in-laws place in St. Barts.

25. If she’s only going to attend 1 or 2 events for her patronages each year, why doesn’t she make it these big fundraising events where she can actually make a difference? Sure we all read about her little visits and pop ins to her patronages, but does that really help them? Does anyone reading about them go donate? No.

    But then you have these 2 big events where she could make a difference by drawing in more attendees and making it possible for them to charge more for tickets or charge extra to be able to sit at her table or shake her hand and she sits at home. I don’t get it. If I were these organizations, I’d say thanks but no thanks. If you can’t show up to our biggest fundraising events of the year, we’ll seek out a patron who actually cares.

    I feel like when she becomes patron of something she should just give them a box of her stationery and tell them to print stuff on it. That’s about as much as her patronage is worth.

26. just over 143,000 people have signed a petition demanding that the Royal Family pay for the Buckingham Palace renovations themselves. Obviously a large number of people feel the Royal Family is NOT good value for public money. Dear Kate and William, the warning signs are all around you – you have got to step it up and get to work. Not 58 days a year for 30-60 minutes at a time but real, honest to goodness full time work. Using the excuse of having small children when you have the extensive support system that you do is just isn’t cutting it anymore.

27. https://www.royal.uk/role-royal-family

    This doesn’t pertain to Kate per say, but it does pertain to her role within the royal family and role of the royal family in general. I had no idea that some ?the majority? of appearances by royals other than the Queen were at her behest. The way this article is written, the Queen must dole out the majority of her appearance requests to family members. I wonder how many of these appearances are given to the younger generation of royals and whether this impacts their official engagement numbers and low patronage numbers.

    Of course, this wouldn’t affect their current patronage appearances, but I can see not wanting to get over involved into too many patronages now when at some point in the next five years, they might be expected to take on a whole lot of the Queen’s and Duke’s patronages.

    1. There is always more work to do, there are no lack of people who need help. There is no reason for W&K to sit around. They should take on charity work now *and* take over any other royal patronages that come their way. They’ve spent 5 years barely working. Past time to make up for it.

       Prince Philip made a public appeal during his 90th birthday interview to slow down, pass the work on to someone else.

       “I reckon I’ve done my bit so I want to enjoy myself a bit now, with less responsibility, less frantic rushing about, less preparation, less trying to think of something to say. On top of that your memory’s going, I can’t remember names and things. It’s better to get out before you reach the sell-by date.” – Prince Philip

       William’s response was to run away and pretend to be a helicopter pilot. Instead of taking over Philip’s role with WWF, William created an umbrella organization where he does no work – but takes credit for the work done by any of the associated organizations.

       HM showed a bit of spine when she basically forced one of Philip’s military patronages on KM.

    2. I’m complete over the whole “she will have to do so much in the years to come”. First of all, she knew what she was in to and agreed to it. Secondly, most of us work until we are 70. Third it’s used as an excuse so that everyone will back off and let her do nothing. If anyone thinks she is going to change or will do more in the future, they are absolutely ridiculous. It hasn’t happened in 15 years, it’s not going to happen in another 15.

       1. +1

28. This is a long post. it took a while to compose. Read through and consider the ideas. Thank you.

    IMO, a great number of the QE&PP patronages and engagements are there to fill time. What else are QE&PP going to do to fill their days? Then PoW has his long list of patronages — also to fill time. The list kept growing and became the extensive burden that it is now. It seems as if anyone and anything can eventually receive a visit from QE, PP, PoW and any of the cousins keeping up the engagements. There should be some division of labor between the members of the BRF as far as the type of engagement that top members will attend.

    The word ‘patron’ has become so misused that it is rendered meaningless. Oxford defines it as ”A person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, or cause.” How is this possible when the patron visits once every 10 years? I doubt funds are donated to the majority of ‘patronages’ except as part of the charity foundations that are set up by HM & PoW. An ex-pat commented to me that this ‘busy-work’ has grown as the empire has shrunk and the world-wide trips decreased. Current trips are to the same places every few years. It takes up some time for the royal and produces some news, publicity and good will among the diverse population of GB. (There may be some political undertones but the surface publicity is they went to a particular country.)

    If the PoW and his sons were really thinking about the future, the patronages would diminish greatly. The reason is this: they should be connecting with the GB counties’ public celebrations especially those that promote the diversity of the county. A deep and thorough review of the public events within the counties will reveal the composition of the citizenry and their hopes and dreams for their part of GB. This is valuable information for the BRF and the governments. If GB hopes to be an inclusive society in the 21st century, the BRF has to let go of the idea of patronage and develop/encourage their image as agents of the idea of GB as a composite of many ethnic groups that hold the concept of GB as the best example of a representative government striving to make the country the best place to live. Yes, this requires that you open yourself and some of your life to observation by the populace.

    It’s actually a good thing that the Cambs don’t have that many patronages. They have time to reconfigure their goals. It would be better that they concentrate foundation efforts and engagements on broader areas of interest so they can direct attention and seed money from their foundations to organzations that are moving towards defined goals rather than those that have broader goals that are less likely to accomplish their mission. Chosen carefully, they can direct attention to locally successful programs that could be emulated by organizations in other areas of GB. It means that they must invest more of their time in their foundation’s decision making processes. Time must be personally spent in reading background materials so they can make informed decisions. (PW has publicly stated that he hasn’t read the background materials. That MUST change.)

    The foundation has to make the effort to inform their funders (D&D of Camb and their contributors) as fully and completely as possible. D&D of Camb must take their obligations seriously and read/watch the research and background information. It is expected of them. There is no backsliding allowed here. If you simply can’t make the effort or spend the time then you should take steps to leave the BRF and make a life that doesn’t involve citizens supporting you through taxation. You live on your own family resources and kiss public obligations good-bye.

    1. That would be ideal but isn’t Philip know to say racist remarks from time to time? Also, Brexit demonstrated the opposite (w/o getting too political and in fear that KMR banned my comment for saying that) :/

29. Does anyone know why after 5 years Kate hasn’t received the royal order yet?

    1. If Kate never receives the Royal Order then she’ll join Princess Michael & Fergie who never received one. But the only exception she’s the only future Queen that never gets the Royal Order. This is so telling! The Queen doesn’t appreciate the amount of royal work that she has done nor does she deserve to get the Order. IMO Kate just doesn’t care anymore as long as she gets the perks of being Royal & be as lazy as she wants.

       1. The Fergie scandal and divorce broke right around the time she would have likely received it (5 year mark). Sophie’s came at the 5 year mark.

          Prince and Princess Michael of Kent do not receive public funding. Their events are put in the CC, but they aren’t (but are?) considered official working members of the Firm.

          Everything they do is by choice, not because they’re formally part of the supported Family Firm. He has represented HM for years, officially but without funding (aside from the apartment at KP that is no longer free).

          They’re neither fish nor fowl, official but not official, which is a strange position. That might be a reason why MC has never received an order, if HM considers it a job-related award.

       2. The Queen lends Kate many Royal jewelleries: the necklace, the earrings, the bracelet, the brooches & even 3 magnificent tiaras. But all these could never replace the gift of the Royal Family Order. Could Kate understand this?

    2. Probably because she hasn’t done anything to deserve it

       1. +1!

       2. She sure hasn’t and if the queen caves and just gives her one, any vestige of honor or respect will be drained from that order. Totally. With the ‘yorkies’ and their pretend knightings, this would make a complete mockery of any order or honor, and be an outright insult to those who have earned them. The people who receive them and those who do have the right to comment, the people of Britain, and of the Commonwealth don’t deserve to have them diminished. She’s a complete embarrassment to the ‘firm’, and hardly an asset. (I won’t say it, I won’t say it, I will not say it), and in fact at this point seems to be bordering on being an outright liability.
          The opinion expressed above is from a totally fed up person, I don’t have a cat, I’m not jealous, but there are hungry, homeless, and hurting people everywhere, and for this leech to just do whatever really angers me. Apologies for the rant.

30. GraceH, I’d agree that a good proportion of engagements have grown over the decades to keep the BRF visible and active, thus preserving their longevity in terms of status, both social and financial. The current arrangement is unsustainable.

    Didn’t Charles have a plan to radically downsize the charity patronages, and focus on just a few charities/projects? If that is the case, the financial arrangements need to be reviewed and revised downwards (substantially) and the roles redrawn to accommodate state occasions and other work, as/if needed. And Charles can forget about stealing public assets like the Duchies.

    Should Brits want a monarchy they can only do so armed with frank and fearless discussion fueled with transparency of information, including all costs, what comprises ‘work’ and so on. At the moment, too much is shrouded from public view, quite deliberately, and one can assume it is because the full extent of costs would be unacceptable to the taxpayer. But if a monarchy is what people want, they also need to decide decide what that monarchy looks like, what it will do, accountability to the public, who will fund it and to what level.

    But it goes deeper than the above; it is about how Britons – going forward – see and accept each other, how they wish to live and support their communities. The wider the social and economic divide, the more difficult it is. I’m not sure that royals are best placed to steer this because they are too entrenched in preserving their own privilege.

    I can see the BRF operating in the immediate future though massively scaled down to perform state ceremonial duties only but eventually phased out. Very part-time, small honorarium, freeing up of palaces for tourism/cultural activities. I don’t see William and Kate stepping up; they clearly see the role as a burden. After all these years dragging their heels, what more evidence is needed? Neither has any sense of duty, and without the massive financial injection from the public, would be long gone.

    1. As Kate told us in that documentary about the Queen, she sees the role as gracing the peasants with her presence, smiles and that’s it.

       William in his EAAA interview made it very clear he hasn’t a clue what royal work is which extends to his failure to articulate what his father does even when trying to describe what the Prince’s trust does.

       All these suggestions are commendable, but if the principals don’t have a clue and aren’t interested in having a clue, it’s all words in the wind.

       Further, charity isn’t the only thing that has royal patronage. Business does too. We hear of the big business patronage, but there are also many small businesses, village fetes, and esoteric associations that are boosted by royal patronage which is where most of the ribbon cutting bread/butter royal patronage comes into play.

       As an example there is an association of master butchers or whatever they call themselves which receives visits from Anne as one of her patronages which they say boosts their numbers due to increased publicity even if we don’t see her on the front pages of the DM.

       WHK are not interested in the ribbon cutting opportunities unless it is something they are personally interested in eg William’s recent visit to trainmakers where he got to drive a train.

       And it’s the ribbon cutting visits that really shoar up support for the monarchy. That’s their core fan base. Those visits serve 2 purposes, the royals can pretend to connect to the people and they show themselves to the people.

       Charity is all well and good, but that’s it doesn’t help if the rotal is bad at it or is perceived poorly in terms of empathy eg Anne and Andrew who are sent to the ribbon cutting side of royaling rather than the charity side.

       The foundation created by WHK seems hellbent on ignoring the ribbon cutting side of the royal project which might be commendable if they actually worked for the foundation – see EACH.

       If one of the foundation’s own charities has to resort to outside celebrities to further their causes then what is the point of the foundation?

       1. Those patronages can also be things like “royal patron of the appeal to raise enough funds to get the church a new roof”, right? Sophie shows up at the county fair to give out prizes and she’s “the patron of the X county fair”, etc. They are often those bread-and-butter visits put into more formal language.

          I had never considered the idea that Anne and Andrew are kept away from the side of things that require empathy. Other than Save the Children, which has been her thing for years, it tracks.

          Anne isn’t pictured with kids, but rather doing site visits overseas and meeting with adults who run the programs. It just isn’t their strength, so they play to what they do well. Show up.

          When W&K married, they said they didn’t want presents but instead donations to their foundation. They didn’t even receive a million in donations. In all of the UK and other realms, W&K couldn’t raise even one million in tax-deductible donations to charity?

          Charles had to top up it up (with money from the Prince’s Trust?) by about $300,000 to get them over 1 million. Shows how little enthusiasm people had for this couple from the start.

          1. I don’t know if it was planned for Anne and Andrew to stay away from charities in need of empathy and hugs, but they’ve planned out their royal lives that way.

             Andrew is particularly interested in technologies and tends to patron organisations that are techie minded.

             Speaking of Save the children, the first time i met Anne was at a school in Africa when she came to visit the project.

             She was polite to us kids, but not interested in giving us hugs or engaging us. She spent most of the afternoon with the adults, yet it wasn’t a question of keeping her away from us. She toured the campus, sat in on a class, spoke to one or two people and left it at that.

             I remember being surprised that save the children had projects at our school because it was a private, fee paying school.

             WK’s wedding fund really showed how popular, or not, they were.

             And it says alot that they’ve never really done any proper fundraising for the foundation. They really think that their presence is enough. Given their profile, that foundation should be choking with money.

             Harry has hosted fundraising dinners for Sentebele. Ditto Polo matches, bracelets etc.

             1. I love Anne’s no nonsense get down to business approach. Especially juxtaposed against pics of her being sweet and loving with Mia =)
                I think she’s a good balance between Harry or even Charles and Camilla who seem engaged and happy at their events at one spectrum then WK at the other end.

             2. I like that she focuses on getting the job done, instead of going for the easy PR of pictures with cute kids.

                I do enjoy seeing the softer side of Anne that we see with her grandkids

                http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/06/19/19/357498F300000578-3649229-image-a-61_1466360463720.jpg

                http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/09/12/18/2C3B0D7A00000578-0-image-a-18_1442080775421.jpg

                http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/05/08/09/33F062AA00000578-3578807-image-a-2_1462697367859.jpg

31. Has she visited EACH even once this year?I can’t seem to remember a visit to any hospice.

32. Question: Wondering if any of these events are connected in some sinister, telling way. Carole is featured in People magazine as KM’s puppet master who is single handedly raising a future king, which everyone knows anyway. (Charles must be appalled at Carole’ s hutzpa.)

    Then the magnificent Midds attend the Tusk Trust, W’s charity not KM’s charity. (Carole looming large to intimidate W because his ideal woman Jecca Craig probably also attended? And when did Carole ever give a fig about conservation?)

    At the same time KM ignores her charity’s gala sending a message she can’t be bothered to update from a prepared speech obviously meant to be given in person. She also doesn’t even acknowledge the SportsAid anniversary ball. In the meantime, KM is home alone helpless to make things right with feckless W.

    It all feels like a kind of “When Things Fall Apart” scenario. As though the raptor-like Carole is desperately trying to keep the entire farce that is her life’s work from imploding. Has Carole devolved into acting like W’s jailer? And we’ve all seen that scary look in Carole’s eyes as she visually locks down her prey, i.e. territory, i.e. W and George.

    Any ideas?

    1. I know it’s none of my business but I’d love to know if she and mike are really divorced/separated.

    2. Do the Middleton’s normally attend conservation events? I’ve only associated with that family an unquenchable thirst for power, attention and money. Perhaps they went to ‘support’ William, or are re-inventing themselves to be deemed suitable for some reward that we have yet to discover? Like a title? Small steps. And wasn’t it William who allegedly advised Pippa to get involved with charity work in order to appear more like marriage material to the right people? The Middleton’s don’t present as kind people, or interested in anyone beyond those who can be of use to them, let alone caring about world problems.

       Like Sarah, I wonder about Mike. He was Mike the Invisible at Balmoral wasn’t he? Like Harvey the rabbit, only visible to Carole. I’d not be surprised if they lived separate lives but come together on occasion for the sake of appearances. They are one dodgy family of grifters.

       1. I wonder if Carole now sees the light that KM is not capable of fulfilling Carole’s goal of being the highest female royal in the land. I believe that for Carole the lines blurred long ago between herself and her daughter. Carole is now kicking KM to the curb and styling herself as the future queen in every way except name. That’s why she is so obsessed with W. There always was a creepy vibe between W and Carole and now Carole has crossed the sanity line and gone nutty, bedeviled focused on controlling W. No way she is interested in conservation. It’s merely one chess move of many to keep him under lock and key.

          1. I read somewhere that Carole was a maser of obsequiousness which would appeal to William no end. I do think she is keeping him on the rails, and in emotional lock-step with her so that he does not stray (or stray far) and eventually reel him in when she wants her title or whatever. For sure, she is as mad as a cut snake. You’d think she had achieved her goal but clearly she needs to be in there boots and all, smothering, rather than leave the couple to sort out their lives.

             1. +1 Lol

                Love the expression “mad as a cut snake.”

          2. Spooky, and spot on. Very creepy dynamics in that Middleton clan. Ewwwww

    3. I think this is an interesting theory…and wouldn’t it be in keeping with Kate and her “acting out”? She knows it would be bad for the BRF for her to not attend EACH–is that what she has to resort to to get Williams attention these days?

       What does everyone think about the idea that she might have anxiety or depression? Or is that theory just ultimately an excuse for her laziness which we’ve had proved time and time again?

       1. I’ve never been convinced that KM suffers from a diagnosable anxiety or depression. She seems to languish only when expected to work or W treats her badly. She does depend on Carole to an unhealthy degree, and I think that contributes to not doing any of the heavy lifting necessary to being a responsible adult.

          I do think Carole and Mike rarely spend much time together these days. Carole is too busy at the manor taking care of the Cambs.

          1. I used to think her interest in mental health was a ruse for her to get some help without actually getting it. I don’t want to be glib about depression as it’s easy to say you can take medication to make things better but the person has to want it themselves and find the best vehicle (medication, therapy or combo) that works for them.
             I now just think it’s that the realization that William is a prince in name only. They never look really happy together. She always has this pathetic look to her when she looks at him. Wanting an ounce of affection or kudos to her. When I look at maxima or some royals the have this real joi de vivre to them. I think she looks more sad than anything.

             1. Agree with pathetic, desperate look to W for attention. How empty she must feel. I think her emptiness is mistaken for depression. She perks up on the rare occasion that he looks her way or holds her hand. That’s why I don’t think she is depressed. She definitely is devoid of any inner resources that would allow her to value herself apart from W and Mummy.

          2. Funny how that depression never shows up when she’s hanging out with Ben Ainslie, eh?

             She didn’t work for those 8 years after college. She’s never supported herself, never worked for a living, and she’s never going to.

             Her laziness and selfishness isn’t related to the state of their marriage, IMO. It is the person she is, just like William is petulant and workshy. Nothing has changed, it is merely magnified because now people pay attention to it. Much more difficult to hide their true natures now.

             1. +1

       2. I doubt it’s all sunshine, rainbows and unicorns behind the walls of Anmer simply because William and Kate both have deep problems without even thinking about the success, or otherwise, of their marriage.

          As for anxiety and depression, Kate has access to the best medical care available should she want it. Anxiety and depression and pretty much anything else are regularly trotted out to excuse her ‘no-work-I’m-here-to-be-looked-after’ attitude which has been front and centre for over 15 years of being in the pubic eye. She is known to pack a sad when it suits, lie about illness, etc. She is just lazy and self-absorbed, pure and simple.

          1. I think she’s all those things but I think it’s finally sunk in that William and the life Carole wanted for her/them may not have been worth it. During the gf years she had a sparkle to her that’s just gone
             She of course could fix all those things if she so choose. She would have to find a back bone first and I’m beginning to think she’s an invertebrate tho =)

          2. Jen, I wouldn’t be surprised that W&K do a lot of communicating through Carole, because she is so embedded in their lives. Definitely no rainbows or unicorns. And as Sarah said, I don’t see W being the super supportitive, loving husband that KM hoped he would become.

             That’s why I think it strange that Carole is inserting herself front and center through a cheesy People magazine article and then attending the Tusk Trunk event, which I doubt she are doing for even remotely philanthropic reasons. She’s keeping tabs on W, her prize trophy.

             1. Carole is very much the 3rd person in that marriage.
                I wonder if she realizes that there is something rotten in the state of Denmark or just a general busy body. Does she have her talons in pippa’s fiancé too?

             2. Carole definitely helped plan Pippa’s path to an engagement. Soon after Nico decided to end the relationship, Pippa had lunch with three of her former boyfriends to gauge whether or not they would marry her. Two are from the aristo set and they obviously said no. Wealthy but plebian James Matthews said yes. That kind of matrimonial reconnaissance must have been planned with Carole’s advice. But I don’t think Carole will be as invested in James as she is in W. Carole wants a title and to be seen as the right hand to the throne. Only W can give her that.

             3. There’s an old saying: “Marry for money and you’ll work hard for every penny.”

                I’m sure you are right in that Carole keeps them both on an even keel, soothing William as well as keeping him close, and making sure the real children (G+C) function as they should. I think Carole treads a fine line between not being his mother and mothering him as a son-in-law. By appeasing and supporting William as a trusted advisor, she keeps him close, dependent and controlled. And her investment safe. For now.

    4. The Middletons interested in conservation? Ha!! The only thing that Carole is interested in conserving is the appearance of her daughter’s marriage, and she will do whatever that takes–from running the Cambridge’s household, to monopolizing George and Charlotte, to organizing holiday house parties for the Cambridges. In this latest move, attending the Tusk Awards, Carole just inserted herself into what has been William and Jecca’s domain, marking her territory so to speak, and making it very clear that competition will not be tolerated. I think it’s a sign that relations between William and Kate are very strained indeed, and that Kate must feel very threatened by Jecca.

       I wonder, did Jecca also go to Vietnam for the Wildlife Trade Conference? I doubt it, given that she also has a toddler, but it would have been the perfect event for her and/or her husband to attend. Imagine though if she did, what that would have done to Kate and how Carole would respond.

       And about the relationship between Carole and Mike, I think those photos of them arriving at Kensington Palace after Charlotte’s birth said it all. Carole and Pippa arrived together, with Carole wearing an absolutely furious expression, and Mike arrived several hours later, looking as though he had a major hangover. Carole got what she wanted in having Kate marry William, and Mike is the one now paying the price. My theory is that he has not been able to handle the stress and pressures of his new life in a healthy way, and Carole doesn’t have the patience to deal with his struggles, so he’s tucked away, for the most part, safely out of sight. Other than at major events such as Wimbledon, is he ever seen? We see instagram posts of Carole out shopping or eating with Kate and Pippa, and lots of past pap shots of Carole out with George, but absolutely none of Mike with George. Everything points to separate lives.

       1. Do you all think that the (possible) separate lives of Carole and Mike might also be contributing to Kate’s appearance/behavior lately? I mean, parents being married only in paper + relying heavily on Carole (which is damaging and unhealthy on its own) + being married to Whiny + hoping Whiny would step up (and he clearly hasn’t) + changing one’s appearance to suit Whiny’s likes about a woman’s anatomy + those behind palace walls + not knowing that she hasn’t truly been accepted by The Firm = an extremely physically and emotionally drained Kate!

          Yes, part of this is her own dang fault but some of it isn’t.

          1. It was Ascot this year, I think, and I recall Anne being especially warm to Kate. I wondered then if the Windsors were sympathetic to Kate for any family issues belonging to her parents. There had been some rumblings around then about C+M leading separate lives. If true, keeping it very quiet would also go down well with the Windsor’s who don’t want scandal. And would keep William happy. Could account for that invitation to Balmoral.

             1. Was mike actually there? I only remember seeing pics of the queen driving her bestie Carole around.
                I guess s plus side to having a ginormous estate is you can go together but essentially be apart the whole time

             2. Well, no, Mike was not photographed at any point of that trip which made me wonder if he was there at all. He was not present at any of the activities photographed for public consumption – driving around the estate, going to church, hunting. No evidence of his presence at all, despite the PR release.

             3. Thought the very same thing.

          2. I think Kate might also feel a lot of guilt about her parents’–and especially about what I think is Mike’s–situation. If my marriage and public position created that kind of stress for my family, I know I’d feel it in spades.

             1. The Middleton family created a lot of stress for itself with Carole and Mike deciding decades ago to pursue power and money through leeching off the wealthy and titled. Carole has been the driver to the point of unhealthy obsession, but all of them jumped on board. So one daughter is married a ‘prince’ who is just a nasty piece of work, but who cares as long as there’s privilege and status attached. Another daughter, after a couple of false leads, has snared the wealthiest man she could find in a dwindling pool of candidates who’d agree to marry her. And a son is trying to live up to the over-hyped ‘success’ of his parents’ business. If I were Mike, I’d be ashamed of my shallowness as well as having sold my children to the highest bidders.

             2. Kate isn’t really responsible for their situation tho. Carole is. Yes, Kate could tell her to go home/but out but we already know she’s malleable to what her mother wants.
                Mike could stop being weak and either get a divorce or ask Carole to come back home.
                They could have a nice relatively quiet life in bucklebury(?) if they so wished.

33. KMR, are you going to cover Queen Rania of Jordan at the German Charity gala ‘Ein Herz für Kinder’ (= a heart for children)? Crown Princess mette marit of Norway has attended this event in the past, and it is for such a good cause. Last year they raised (I think) 19 million euros. Many private people donate really small amounts of money, and it really adds up. They always present different charities and touching causes of children in need. It is such a worthy cause!

    1. Rania was awarded the ‘goldenes Herz’ (golden heart) award (which mette marit has also received) for her charity work and role as an UN ambassador and work with refugee camps in jordan there.

34. Maybe she did not attend because she had a big coloring project she had to finish up.

    1. Of course!

    2. OMG, I laughed so hard at this comment that I nearly choked.

35. She hasn’t done anything for the Scouts in a few years either. As someone who loves “spoooooort” she should love to help the scouts. I would. I loved being a Brownie. She could do adventure weekends. Such a shame.

    1. I think the writing on the wall for the scouts when she turned down a big scout anniversary and they had to bring in Bear Grylls at the last minute to cover it.

       Someone i know who works for the scout association said the excuse given for the cancellation was the Ben Ainslie event earlier that same week.

       Apparently she couldn’t do 2 events in a week. The kicker is that the Ben Ainslie event was *cancelled on the day due to bad weather before she arrived, but she still showed up and stayed for several hours.

       *the weather turned bad which meant cancelling events scheduled for later in the day which made her attendance superflous.

       1. Well, she wanted to spend the day with Ben, no matter the weather.

          She had no interest in the scouts, which morphed from “private time” to “public engagements” when her numbers were so terrible. Never bought the rare stories out of Wales that she was holding BBQs at the cottage and actually working with the local group. All PR, but what are the Scouts to do, admit she’s lying?

       2. By anyone’s standards, Kate has an abysmal attitude towards work. Why people think she will step up ‘later’ is beyond me. Clearly she is also emboldened by William to do nothing. What a shame his family doesn’t call his bluff.

          1. +1
             KM hates the fact that she is expected to work. It was never expected of her before marriage and therefore she puts forward every excuse in the book as to why she won’t work. As appalling and impossible for other people to understand this about KM, it’s who she is and has always been. She was raised to believe she deserves to be coddled and given every luxury as long as she does what Mummy wants. Carole now realizes that KM’s personality and lazy propensities won’t get Carole to the finish line of the throne. Carole is now stepping up herself in a public way.

             1. And didn’t Kate describe herself – in clearly one of her many delusional moments – describe herself as ‘the puppet master’?

       3. Personally, I’d rather have Bear Grylls than Kate. I’ve seen some of his shows and have learned a lot from him. My dad was also involved in Scouts before he passed away and brought me along with him. I owe my independece and independent thinking to it. Bear will get his hands dirty and get involved. If he were at any event I had been to in the past, I’d be over the moon. Kate? I see her whining because she got some dirt under her nails. And I would be the kid who would totally get my dirty hands and ruin whatever ugly expensive dress she’s wearing.

    2. I thik the scouts is one of her many missed opportunities. Not only being sporty/outdoorsy, it also helps build young girls confidence and could tie in nicely with their mental health initiative.
       She could even bring charlotte to some outings when a little older

       1. I agree with all of this, but Kate’s too arrogant to do any of it.

       2. Kate’s supposedly doing an event for them on the 14th in Norfolk. lulz

          1. Cue the George just loves the Scouts and can’t wait to join.
             I thought it was the Boy Scouts, but hey, no matter, if it’s Girl Scouts then Charlotte is ever so keen, already knows how to tie knots, (have to keep George’s shoes away from her) and she has already set a tiny fire by rubbing two sticks together. Under strict and close hands on parental supervision with absolutely no risk or danger to anyone or anything. (I had to include that because I don’t take fire at all lightly). And I am not making fun of those innocent little kids, they simply appear to be Kate’s only talking point aside from her brother’s beard.

             1. I find it interesting the last Scouts event she did was, what, years ago, and now she’s showing up to some 100 years of Cubs thing in Norfolk. So ridiculous. I wonder if they made up the event just for her to show up, like the EACH dinner in Norfolk as well.

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