Article Round Up: Prince William edition

Annoying Articles Prince William

Article Round Up: Prince William edition

by katemiddletonreview239 Comments on Article Round Up: Prince William edition

After Prince William was photographed skiing and videoed dancing in Verbier two weekends ago there were several think-pieces written about his decision to make the trip and how much he’s really committed to the role of royal that I never got around to covering. So this is a round up of those articles that I’d like to comment on.

I’ve got four articles I’m covering here, and I’m just going in order of when they were published. So first up is this article from Penny Junor. For space, I’ve cut a lot of it out and have only quoted the most relevant parts.

    “William’s only mistake was perception and timing. If it had been a different weekend, we might have enjoyed the dance moves, and thought nothing more than ‘Good on ‘im’. As it was we saw them alongside pictures of senior members of the family… all smartly turned out for a major international event… I also don’t doubt that the Queen agreed to his being away from Monday’s service. But it doesn’t look good, particularly for someone who has been accused in the past of being work-shy… Today [the Monarchy] has to justify itself and be seen to be relevant, to be value for money and to be giving Britain something above what it would get from a presidential head of state. There are no guarantees for the future… While it may be unenviable, the life he was born into does have some compensations. He lives in spacious, beautiful homes, he travels in style, he has people to look after him and more money than most people dream of. And with that privilege comes responsibility… If William is seen to be working hard, and if he’s friendly and cooperative with the media who have the power to make or break him, then the public won’t think twice about a lads’ weekend or a bit of dodgy Dad Dancing.”

[Telegraph]

I’ve said on a number of occasions now that I wouldn’t begrudge William and Kate a vacation, since so many other royals have also taken vacations this year, and my biggest point with this trip is that the timing is terribly stupid. He should have gone the weekend Harry went to Jamaica and then none of this would have been a big deal. I know Penny Junor isn’t well liked, but I agree with her entire article. The problem with this trip specifically is mostly a perception one.

This next article is from Damian Thompson writing for The Sun, in which he discusses William’s behavior. For space, I’ve cut out parts since it’s a rehash of the weekend trip.

    “We’re also far less indulgent towards the Duke of Cambridge than we were in the days when he was the beguilingly shy ‘Wills’ — a young man who appeared to have inherited his mother’s natural rapport with ordinary people. Put bluntly, he has changed, and not for the better. This would have seemed inconceivable a few years ago, but William has acquired a reputation for laziness…
    “The British people aren’t fools. And nor are the people of India — when William and Kate visited their country last year, it was blindingly obvious to the Indian media that this ‘royal tour’ — costing the UK taxpayer £270,000 — was a thinly disguised holiday. The royal couple left India less popular than when they arrived. William could have repaired some of the damage by turning up at the Abbey on Monday — India is, after all, the largest country in the Commonwealth — but the lure of the ski slopes proved too strong to resist…
    “It is not just a question of William’s neglect of royal duties, which is a matter of public record. I also hear people in royal circles, or who have had professional dealings with the prince, complain about his haughty manner. Journalists are used to his hostility — to the cold-eyed stare that seems to imply that they are no better than the paparazzi who chased his mother to her death nearly 20 years ago. Of late, however, there have been whisperings that William is almost as rude to members of his staff who are insufficiently deferential, or catch him in a bad mood…
    “Now the word ‘petulant’ is increasingly being attached to his older son. Laid-back Wills is a distant memory. ‘Both of them, Catherine as well as William, have become awfully grand,’ says a source in the royal household… So is William really just a younger, marginally cooler version of his father? Not really. There are key differences, and they do not reflect well on William. Although Charles surrounds himself with sycophants, at least they’re well-educated sycophants who fill his head with ideas, not all of them bad. If he drops his loopier enthusiasms (homeopathy, for example) and resists the urge to meddle, he may yet turn into an enlightened monarch.
    “William is not as bright as his father, but he does have the armour-plated self-confidence you pick up at Eton. Was it really a good idea to send him there, followed by the picturesque snob factory of St Andrews University? ‘He’s turning into a mix of Norfolk squire and dim West London Sloane in red trousers,’ says one social commentator. ‘Think David Cameron minus a few IQ points.’ Maybe that’s too harsh. I hope so. Time will tell — and it’s depressingly clear that Prince William needs a lot of time to get his act together.”

[The Sun]

I’m glad someone in the media is finally saying that Charles will make a better king than William. I’ve thought that for years since, despite the problems people have with him, he does seem like he genuinely cares about his job whereas it’s been apparent to me for years that William doesn’t.

This next article comes from Robert Jobson at the Daily Mail. Again, I’ve cut stuff for space.

    “If the pictures and videos are disappointingly fuzzy, the overall impact could hardly have been more clear. There, say his critics, is a prince of the realm wavering between the competing needs of ‘disco’ and ‘duty’, an heir to the Throne caught out on a lads’ weekend with a blonde model or two when he should have been safely at home observing Commonwealth Day in Westminster Abbey. Dull, perhaps, but a key date in the Royal diary.
    “Even his admirers would concede that last week’s images have made quite a dent in a carefully crafted public persona: the caring family man, part of the almost perfect ‘William and Kate’ double act. They gave the impression he didn’t care. Not for the first time in recent months, William finds himself described as workshy and irresponsible. How, then, did the Prince or his team of advisers get it so wrong?
    “One answer is that the sugar-coated image he enjoyed for so long was almost too good to be true. For scratch the surface of William and what you find is a complex character. There is an ‘over-confidence’ which some say is bordering on arrogance, and which senior Palace aides now fear is clouding the 34-year-old’s judgment. He can be ‘petulant, capricious, even hostile’, I am told – words you might not readily associate with the second in line to the throne. Even his father, the Prince of Wales, has given up on passing on advice to his headstrong eldest son, and he is not alone. Most of those close to William say they prefer to act as a ‘sounding board’ rather than run the risk of confrontation. It is safer that way. Even the Queen has concluded it is best to let William find his own path, to make his own mistakes…
    “Sources in the Royal Household say that in contrast with his father and grandmother, William is not the best listener. As one explained: ‘The Duke of Cambridge has some very good, innovative ideas. But the Duke can be a little unforgiving. When he gets it right everyone is patting him on the back, but who is there to criticise him and warn against getting it wrong?'”

[Daily Mail]

Basically, all of this stuff is what we’ve been saying for years and the media is finally catching up.

This last article comes from Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast, in which he discusses how William blames the media for every problem in his life. Again, I’ve cut things for space.

    “William’s decision to go on a ski trip with his old party pals Guy Pelly and Tom Van Straubenzee instead of attending a symbolically important church service would, at any time, be unwise. But to do so just days after the UK parliament formally ratified the Prime Minister’s power to trigger article 50, the notice that it intends to quit the EU, after which it is hoped that trade with Commonwealth countries such as India will help balance the British books, was a colossal miscalculation. Images of the future British king making an over-privileged clown of himself will not have hurt the Scottish first minister’s opportunistic call for a fresh referendum on independence either. Among Scottish nationalists, ‘Not My Queen’ is a popular rallying cry. Unfortunately, Prince William is unlikely to see it that way.
    “If previous form following monsterings he has received from the press are any guide, William will, instead of accepting any blame himself, simply gnash his teeth and bemoan the horrid media, the evil internet and the outrageous invasion of his privacy that is someone shooting footage of him on their cameraphone dancing appallingly in a nightclub.
    “‘He won’t listen to advice and hires people too scared to give it,’ says one source, who adds that William tends to ‘see himself as the victim’ when these privacy rows blow up. ‘William, Kate and Harry have this delusional idea – encouraged by their press team – that they can be both private and public people depending what they are up to, so people have ‘no right’ to see what he is doing,’ the source tells the Daily Beast, ‘Of course this is nonsense, but he won’t accept it. The irony is, it just makes them even more miserable because they will never be private citizens.’ …
    “The default position of simply blaming the press won’t get William far. As Lacey says, ‘To imagine that the press or just about anyone with a smart phone will not take photos of him if he’s with a glamorous blonde is downright naïve.'”

[Daily Beast]

This touches on William’s ridiculous idea that he can go from being a public figure to a private citizen like flipping a switch. He can’t. Being in the public eye may suck, but that’s something William needs to just deal with. This struggle only hurts him more since he refuses to take the necessary steps to actually have some sort of private life. Instead, he does stuff publicly then gets mad when people see him do it. Also, while the media can be at fault at times, blaming the media for one’s problems that one created oneself is delusional and petty.

We’ve seen the media go after William in the past, on various occasions, but it’s always gone back to normal after a while. I wonder how long this new media coverage of William will last, or if Paris has already turned things around.


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239 thoughts on “Article Round Up: Prince William edition”

  1. I have always felt (since 1998 at least) that Charles is far better at his public duties than his sons are, especially William. So, I have to agree with what KMR says and what mainstream commentators are now saying. As for Prince William, he’s as whiny and entitled as we regular readers have always realized. And, William is doing himself no favors by surrounding himself with yes men.

    I had great respect for the Queen and her generation ( as I do for that entire Wartime generation) for their sense of duty, their hard work, and their sheet stamina. Charles has earnt some respect from me for his commitment to many causes and his sense of duty. But William and the younger generation of royals? No way.

    I’m from India, by the way, and I wasn’t impressed at all by their lightweight visit and lack of preparation last year. It made no impact on my friends, and very little news.

    2. I think Damien Thompson is a bit unfair to Charles’ staff. As well as being well-educated, they clearly have a better understanding of public mood and the importance of perception. A lot of work has gone into rehabilitating Charles and Camilla’s image and the success is down in a major part to their advisors and to C&C’s willingness to listen to their advisors. And while Charles and Camilla are clearly ‘grand’, they at least present an idea of public duty.

      Looking at W&K, their decision to set up their own court has been a wasteful failure. Their staff have neither the experience or authority to develop a brand for the couple and have squandered a huge deal of public good will in a very short time. W&K’s ‘grandness’ combines badly with their faulty idea of modernity, which increasingly means a very expensive and duty-free private existence.

      In both cases, credit has to go to the royals involved – Charles (who I still have a lot of issues with) has clearly been willing to appoint the right people and to follow their advice. W and K have not.

      1. Though it pains me to say it the blame starts at the top HM needs to stop tolerating this behaviour. She’s been an ostrich on family issues all her adult life.

        1. I agree – HM needs to do something about her sullen, angry, petulant and hypocritical grandson. Her years of dedication and service might be wasted entirely after only one generation. W+K need to.wake up to themselves and have a massive reality check.

          1. I think she is a terrible judge of people. Her favorite child, Andrew, is the least likeable of her children. I wonder if she doesn’t believe William is just fine, and her courtiers don’t tell her differently.

          2. I’ve never thought he was her favorite because of his personality. I always figured it was because he was the make-up baby after a rough patch in HM and PP’s marriage. It was more what he represented than Andrew himself.

        2. Agreed. It bothers me that the press thinks the Queen allowed this trip. If true, how terrible. She more than anyone should know the importance of the BRF attending commemorative ceremonies. It makes her look just as bad as William for allowing this. And I still don’t get why Kate didn’t go. Would it just highlight William’s absence? His absence was likely to be discovered anyway, so Kate skipping the ceremony makes her look lazy. In summary, they all look bad.

          1. I don’t think it makes her look lazy. I think it would have made William look even worse if Kate went to it by herself actually. So maybe she was even advised not to go

          2. Maybe HM is finally doing what people have wanted her to do – make William learn a lesson. She doesn’t interfere with his choices, but now she’s not covering this story up. He made the choice to skip the Commonwealth Service, now the consequences are falling on him like a ton of bricks. She’s letting it run full-ahead and have people tear him to shreds.

        3. Or if not the queen Charles. What does he have to lose? I’d say his relationship with William is probably already strained, he never gets to see the grandkids so can’t hold that over him. Right now he holds the purse strings so I’d say it’s time Charles stepped up to the plate since he’s holding the better hand

          1. Sarah or he is waiting for Harry to get married and have kids and then Charles can have a great relationship with his other grandkids.

          2. I’d like to think just becuase you have grandkids through one child, doesn’t lessen the hurt from not seeing the others from another child.
            But Harry having kids may spurn them on to let him see theirs more.

    3. One of the articles said that they came away from India less popular. Was it their lightweight schedule or was there more that I missed?

          1. I shook my head in disbelief when I heard that. That tells me either she a) has no empathy or b) wasn’t listening. I want it to be b so bad.

          2. I’m assuming it’s a), Rhiannon, considering the other things and reactions she has had to things that would make us recoil or have our eyes fill with tears…

        2. Flashing in front of the memorial….that was an appalling and disgusting moment. I was personally furious when I saw that. It was a windy day that day- wear trousers! That’s what I and millions of women worldwide do when we check the weather before heading outside and see that it’s a windy day

      2. There was ongoing row throughout their visit regarding high handedness, rudeness.

        And they didn’t charm India at all. A few articles about the pointlessness of their visit were written in Indian media.

        Despite the wall to wall reporting, the reality was that they did very few events and rest of their time was deemed private.

        The ratio of events vs private was such that everyone came away with impression that it was more holiday than official tour.

        A few articles wriiten at the time that mentioned what a disappointment the tour was……

        https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/1132524/wills-and-kates-royal-tour-of-india-and-bhutan-more-like-270k-private-hol-and-you-footed-the-bill/

    4. W&K India tour was total failure . Their tour made no impact on anything not even fashion.I disliked all the clothes Kate wore .
      Many newspapers didn’t even bother to cover them .

  2. I will never understood why William did this, I just know that he did not mature at all, other royals know their place in their thirties. He must be really unhappy. But what shocked me is that he makes it quite obvious that he doesn’t care about his public image although he will be King. William doesn’t want to be king. His reign will be catastrophic if he behaves like this.

    1. I think because he has never been made accountable for anything in his life – his job, his duty, his university studies, his difficult personality as a child etc. He has been coddled his whole life and has been taught by those around him that everything he does is perfect because he is William, the future Monarch.

      2. +1

        Sadly, he did what he did at that time – hopefully to finally start the removal of 3 and middletons from the Line – carol/waity will be aging dieting more…

        Much more dedicated hardworking Prince Harry on record (maybe next POW in the making!), considering possible marriage- MM PH wil be great with Prince Trust…

        Watch youtube, great pleasure and hope, watching PH at the service (yotube), the children but the best was watching P rince Henry lead HM heirs – with his uncles York and Wessex behind (yes its protocol but looks just right!). – No entitled smirking lambrige middleton present. Just right!!!

  3. The press needs to continue to make him accountable, perhaps then there will be a shift in his thinking and as a consequence in his actions. He is an out of touch, petulant and entitled middle aged man that needs an overdue realty check. It is up to the press as well as his father and grandmother to do this, as unpleasant as this may be. KMR, why do you think Paris might be a turning point in the press’ perception of William? To me it appeared like a lightweight holi-tour, nothing lasting or significant was achieved, if anything it highlighted how expensive and useless the future of the monarchy will be with these two in grates in charge.

    1. It’s not that I think Paris was any sort of significant achievement. It’s that the last time the press dug in to William, in early 2016, they let it go quite quickly once he started doing some engagements. So I just wonder if the press will have already started to let it go again after he did some engagements over last weekend.

      1. There’s been no pushback that I have seen. Last year during the Workshy Wills troubles, there was a slew of pieces saying that he was a brilliant father whose choices were approved of by the Queen. This time : crickets. Has anyone defended him? Is it significant that no one is willing to go on the record to say how wonderful he is? Maybe the tides have really changed this time.

        1. It’s become more difficult to defend Prince Petulant’s arrogance, hasn’t it? Moreover, the media seems to be stockpiling a silo of negative feelings, examples of egregious behaviour and knowledge of W’s profligacy and disrespect towards Charles and the Queen. I hope they spill on everything.

      2. Thanks for clarifying, you will most likely be proven correct. I’m sure some photos of the children will be released real soon and all will be forgotten.

  4. Teflon-coated Eton arrogance (sorry, ‘confidence’) + poor parental discipline + the Queen’s failure to exert pressure + unintelligent + easily bored + poor student (uni, RAF, bespoke Cambridge course) + no follow-through + disinterest in work + temper/hostility/petulance etc + entitled = a significant problem for a nation when the genetic lottery of royalty is the sole determinant of Head of State. It is a strange concept for an educated society to tolerate in the 21st century.

    Junor’s attempt to isolate the Verbier incident as being William’s, “only mistake” and merely one of “perception and timing” conveniently muffles years of problematic behaviour since early childhood. It is now firmly embedded. At middle age, it is unlikely he will change unless he sees the need to do so. However, William is too dependent on the deference, material spoils and increased power to step aside. If he were not tagged a ‘prince’, what would his life look like? Who would tolerate him if not for the title?

    Whether the press keeps up its current critical stance is anyone’s guess, though past performance is not encouraging.

    1. “a significant problem for a nation when the genetic lottery of royalty is the sole determinant of Head of State”
      That’s an important point. I don’t think William deserves this high privilege if he doesn’t appreciate or at least can come to terms with it. What does he think how the people he should serve will feel when his work always comes across as being forced to him, not being important to him?He should grow a backbone and try to make the best of it. It doesn’t have only disadvantages to have a meaningful voice.

      1. It’s hubris over humility.

        William is a product of his nature and nurture. But is he an aberration of the BRF or its true face, with the act dropped? All of them act entitled ; they just have more experienced PR to mask it.

    3. The junor piece was a joke. Yes perception is part of the problem but only a small bit.
      There’s the fact that this isn’t the first time and he clearly had been skiing not too long before this trip as he still had the sun burned cheeks at the last engagement. Whether he went with Kate and fam who knows, she clearly had gotten some new Botox/dye job so maybe she was spa-ing it while he hit the slopes.
      It’s that he (and Kate) hardly work yet enjoy all the benefits this lifestyle has to offer without putting in the work.
      The queen and Charles have essentially created this problem by letting them get away with it.
      I’m glad more journalists are actually calling him out and I hope they keep it up. But agree that if the past holds any say, I’d say no.

      1. My hope from all of the negative press is that it might actually wake up the Queen and PC enough that they will finally be willing to give him what for. He’s still in his bubble but maybe, just maybe, this will impress on them the need for action.

      2. Well, what does it matter to Charles and the Queen? The Queen doesn’t blink an eye in misappropriating public funds and Charles wants to steal the Duchy of Cornwall for himself. Their personal funds are not being used to support the duo. It’s just money from faceless plebs who have no voice in how their money is abused. So it doesn’t matter if William and Kate phone it in. No consequences for Windsor’s.

        1. It’s slightly off-topic but one thing really struck me over the past week or so and I’ve not managed to shake it from my head, it was a comment someone made on a site somewhere about Kate’s spending and it was along the lines of “for (x) trip she has spent over the average yearly salary for the UK”. On clothes!

          Now I’m a UK citizen, self employed and earn about £15k a year. This is below the ‘average’ which I believe to be between the 18-26k/pa figure. So what this commentator was saying was that Kate, over the course of a weekend, spent on her wardrobe nearly twice what I earn in A YEAR. Before tax!

          And they want to be ‘normal’. I’m just speechless. Sorry for going a bit o/t but this is fantasy-land stuff, it’s not reality as the vast majority of us understand it. I used to look at the figures and not really take it in, it wasn’t till I thought about her spending in conjunction with what I earn that it hit home. One of her outfits costs more than I earn in a year. And I’m paying for it. No wonder she puts up with his sh*t.

          1. I like the Swedes’ more modest approach (or so it seems to me) of re-purposing clothes eg Victoria wearing her mother’s Chanel cardigan, as well as the children wearing their parents’ old clothes, which were beautiful and hand-made. Obviously precious family pieces. Victoria seems eminently sensible, not at all ostentatious, dressing appropriately/ smartly for the occasion.

            Spending K30 on clothes for 36 hours is just ludicrous. I’m surprised Britons haven’t kicked up a stink about the level of wastage. I doubt Kate even knows what she’s got in her wardrobe. I wonder if someone on her staff is charged with keeping an inventory, and if planning what to wear for an engagement, Kate recalls that ‘x’ would be suitable OR she just buys afresh. Because no limit credit card.

  5. He is a prat – no expectation of having to achieve anything – his German relatives are all doing much better – no surprise at all – by the time his father is gone it will all be over

    2. This.

      His arrogance and hatred of his father since marriage – theB BRF and destroying the Monarchy knows no bounds….which leader of a set of collective countries, send F U on such a day?!! Prince Henry is the one after a King Charles, and whiny made it that much closer . “I am a Prince’ and large family and in laws, stealing taxpayers funds, luxury perks, with NO returns!

      Queen Maxi, attended an Opening in the Hague and Denmark/German funeral the same day.

  6. William doesn’t want to be king. Period. He has an issue with staying on a job (Search and Rescue, Farmers Course) and many excuses are made for him. I think being the heir coupled with his mother’s tragic death helped to create some of his issues. No one wants to push him like his mother. We’ve all said he did not get the best of the Windsor or Spencer traits in regards to temperament. Add to that sycophants who will not tell him no. To that point, he proved a fatal point: he lacks experience and so do his court. Having a JLP on staff is sorely needed.

    As far as the trip, I call foul. He doesn’t work. When he does he acts cantankerous. He skipped the holidays with his sick grandmother to be with the Middletons. And his missing the Commonwealth services in order to ski and dance is reprehensible. As an American, I don’t have “skin in the game”. But if I were a UK citizen, I would be beyond angry.

    People have made excuses for him his whole life. Add that to that a nasty temperament. And now here we are. He needs to be ready now. HM is almost 91. His father’s reign could be quite short. He could realistically be king in under 20 years. At this point, remove him. He doesn’t want it. Let him have his inheritance from Diana and go on to be Bill Middleton as he is telling us through actions and words.

    Sorry for the rant, KMR. Thank you for the recap.

    3. Rhiannon, spot on! I have to add, I think the press is going to be tougher on him from now on, even if he starts doing 2 or 3 engagements a week to repair his image, the perception is that he is working under duress. This Verbier/Commonwealth Day no-show/heinous dancing thing will always be there for him, like Harry and his Nazi costume.

    4. Completely agree. William doesn’t want to be King. He has never wanted to be King. Yet he doesn’t want to give up the perks that being the heir to the heir gives him. It’s actually pretty sad. That he has such a platform to do wonderful things for his charities. Yet squandered every opportunity to bring spotlight to any of them in a good or effective way. I’m still trying to figuring out the champions for mental health. What is the message? The focus?? Mental health is such a broad thing. It’s not a catchy hash tag for Twitter.

      1. Rhiannon, beautifully said.

        I also think that HM has allowed William to get away with things for way too long. Obviously, guilt over the way Diana was treated and a way to keep comforting the sons.

        William really made an inexcusable mistake by missing the ceremony for the Commonwealth members . He is so clueless, it is beyond comprehension. If he insists on being a frat boy forever, do it at a less inappropriate time . It is a slap in the face to the people of the UK and to those in Commonwealth nations. It is also such a horrible way to disrespect those in his family who understand what service is. He lacks discipline, respect, and common decency. I’m an American, so my thoughts should not matter to those who may one day have him as their King. Still, I am offended by his attitude and his actions.

        1. I so agree. William and Kate are @ 35 years old, but want to act as though they are 25 years old and have no responsibility.

          Diana said a long time ago William did not want to be King. I thought this was the talk of a young child. Now, it sounds like a dire warning.

  7. I think the company you keep reveals a lot too. Will and Harry are great friends with Percy, who has openly used them multiple times, doing a video in front of Buckingham, and touting various nightclubs. He’s been arrested for drunk driving numerous times, and left his nine month pregnant wife for Verbier. As far as I know, his nightclubs have been popular but not well managed. I’m sure most of us have friends who have made poor decisions in their lives, but when someone like that remains your best friend, you are likely to also be involved in making poor decisions. It’s been reported by various sources that Will’s friends were hostile and looked down at Kate, and Harry’s friends were suspicious of Meghan. In both cases, the press made it sound like the women had to just play along with the harsh jokes to be part of the in crowd. In my opinion, friends like that aren’t worth such loyalty. i know Kate tries to have a private life, but I do think we would hear of her friends every now and then – instead it seems she has been folded into William’s circle, and in my view, they now live in an echo chamber.

    1. I think there is some evidence that Kate, who I believe is smarter tham William, does not approve of the party boys. She missed most of their weddings for example.

      1. Fifi, I would be interested in why you think KM is smarter than W. I personally think both are dimmer than dim but W has power to give and to wothdraw KM’s desperate need for feeling taken care of, so that gives him an edge in appearing intelligent.

        As far as the party boys, KM may loathe them, but I’m sure he treats them better than he does her. There is nothing she can do about them.

        1. I don’t think Kate is the “stronger” emotionally, or that she is any less entitled and lazy than William, but I do think she has discipline and determination that he lacks. I just have the feeling he runs roughshod over everyone who tries to advise him. I think he must be hell to live with. And I doubt Carole is okay with his behavior if it begins to threaten her daughter’s and grandson’s place in history. Middleton’s are all about appearance.

          1. Kate has discipline? Really? Examples, please. Fifi, you are saying something that I just don’t understand. Is it me?

            Disciplined people do more than shop for the right clothes and sit patiently while their hair and make-up are done for engagements. They read their briefs. Get to know and understand the causes they champion. I just don’t see where Kate has shown much discipline. They carve out a special niche for themselves in their “work” lives and work passionately. I have yet to see that from Kate.

            Her haughtiness — a different subject — matches her husband’s. One thing I won’t forget –oh, besides her flashings — was the way she got rid of the bouquet of flowers that young man presented to her when she was leaving Canada. And, right in front of him!!!

            Sorry, I am not picking on you, Fifi, just wonder what I am missing when it comes to Kate being disciplined. Oh, maybe waiting for so many years for Will to pop the question and following her Mum’s advice and tactics explicitly. Is that discipline?

            Cranky today. Do forgive me, please.

          2. I think her pursuit of William showed that she has discipline. I have a feeling the reason she hasn’t shown discipline in any other capacity is more due to the fact that she is not interested. She achieved her goal. Being a good Duchess isn’t her goal or a priority for her. That’s why she isn’t showing any discipline.

          3. Jenny, Cookie has made the point I would have. She was very disciplined and determined in her pursuit of her “prize”. If she ever decided to be a good hard-working member of the royal family, I think she could do it. That she doesn’t is a terrible indictment of her values.

          4. Fifi, I’m not saying you are wrong, but I see a woman who was coerced by a grasping mother who set both daughters on the high
            society track of despite frequent humiliation. Her mother arranging sleepovers exclusively for aristo classmates who weren’t even friends with the Midd girls and excluding all others, pushing KM to be in situations that led to humiliation (W inviting KM to holidays or events then breaking up with her at the beginning of the trip so that she had to tearfully slink back home when he pointedly ignored her, waiting 10 years to get engaged after numerous break ups. That was all her mother, not KM’s resolution in the face of frequent insults. Even
            married, there are videos of W calling her a b# at ceremonial events with KM looking close to tears.

            Carole has been the puppeteer for this entire “romantic” farce. KM has her father’s temperament of going along and acquiescing to Carole’s ambition s.

          5. What Carter said.

            Kate has discipline, thick skin, determination and self control even though those characteristics are employed in superficial pursuits.

            Examples:
            1. Her long wait for William. No ridicule, private or public would deter or distract her from him.

            2. Her public image. From the smile that hides her true feelings especially during moments of high stress, the way she dresses and presents herself

            3. Doing exactly as she pleases despite presenting herself as a child who needs looking after. It’s a singular determination to live your life like that rather than choose a different path.

            4. Doing whatever is/was necessary to land her man. Not just in make overs, but forcing herself to be wild because William (and the boys at school) had deemed her boring.

            All these things demonstrate those characteristics even if we disapprove of how she chooses to exercise them. The fact that her mother was pulling the strings doesn’t negate those qualities in Kate. She is the one who had to live with those actions and effects. She is the one who had to put into action all of Carole’s plans, suffer the humiliations, be called names. And she didn’t buckle or change course.

            She doesn’t work now because she’s achieved her goal. Ten years of work for pampered poodle result. And after the humiliating journey, nothing anyone says now is going to get through.

          6. Thanks for your reply, Fifi. I’m not in the mood to reply after all the incidents in London. I will at another date. One thing: I see tenacity as a trait in Kate. But, not discipline. Wishing everyone well.

      2. What’s your obsession with her mother, you never see her or hear her expect for kate’s birthday and christmas. They are living their lives not doing anyone any harm.

        If william according to reports is not listening to charles and the queen then he is certainly not listening to her mother. You can critise kate and william for what they do or not do but why not leave her family out of it.

        1. Her family have put themselves front and center with their press leaks and photo ops. Does anyone know what Sophie’s father looks like? Nope, because he doesn’t want attention and manages to avoid it. The Midds could have faded into the background after the wedding but instead they went to the Jubilee, Ascot, Wimbledon, etc. They’ve made themselves part of the story.

          1. We don’t see Autumn Phillips’ family. Or Mike Tindall’s family. Or Anne’s husband’s family. Just the Middleton’s.

          2. With all due respect sophie’s father is also at christmas etc. and is photographed but he is not interesting because sophie is way down the line. Heck even sophie is not that interesting to the press because of that.

            @jen not interesting to press

            They went to wimbledon for a long time and are tennis fans. So they can’t go because kate was in a relationship with william and later when she was married because of that.

            They were invited by the queen to attend ascott etc. Sorry but if i got a invite from the queen i would also go.

          3. The Midds aren’t interesting, as much as Carole wishes they were. Her constant rolling out details of her oh so humble millionaire life at the manor with the Cambs all featured in People and DM, the publications of choice for her publicist, are too frequent to ignore. She loves the limelight and exploits it hoping for financial gain and public approval.

      3. Kate was a huge partier herself. Smoker, drinker, would out-drink all the boys under the table and stumble out of clubs in her pursuit of William utterly smashed but it wasn’t as reported on as Harry’s indiscretions. W&K partied way harder than Harry. I don’t begrudge partying in one’s 20s, sure, but they did nothing else.

    2. The ‘doors-to-manual’ spin came from the Middletons post one of the breakups. It wasn’t something that came from the inner circle. The Wisteria Sisters moniker is a different story.

      1. They played people. The Middleton’s sniffed around any male with money. They are the very definition of parasite.

        If it all falls over – William descends into a state where he is removed – Middleton machinations will have been for nought. Which would be a just outcome, served cold. I’m sick of users. They need to be called out for what they are.

          7. I totally think one of the articles Mrs.bbv posted the other day is Middleton spin!
            The whole Kate unlike Charles is the only one to stand Up to William! Meh okay I don’t think anyone believes that but a Middleton =)

    3. I think Kate doesn’t have any friends of her own for a reason. I think she probably had some in college but in her never ending quest to land William, she probably scared off most girls.
      Her family is so insular they are almost cult like so the only friends she would need would be them.
      Now I would actually wonder why anyone would want to be her friend, she doesn’t seem to do much of anything besides shop. My sister’s kids are now of the age where you’re doing mommy play date kinda of thing and I don’t see that happening with her.
      Which is sad everyone needs their own friends, at least to tell her stop with the wonky brows!!

      1. If she was a normal aristocratic, rich trophy wife shopping and spa days might be the norm, which would make her a fun friend. But my guess is that she’s a combination of grand around the girls but then quiet and “Oh, yes William” when couples are together. We’ve all seen how he treats her like crap and being around a couple like that is very far from fun. It’s allienating. Their friends won’t entirely go away because they won’t give up access to William. But as she’s gotten full of herself, even the good friends that she may have had have probably just become the people who are around but aren’t emotionally invested.

        1. Does anyone have a link to a video of William calling Kate a bi*** at an event? I would be interested to see that as it would be very eye opening to me as I never knew that that had happened. I never thought he treated her that well but this would take the sham of their marriage to a whole new low for me.

          2. It was Jubilee barge in 2012. Lipreaders posted some of the conversations the royals were having amongst themsrlves as thry watched the water parade.

            At some point, one of the exchanges between William and Kate included those words. Harry who was also nearby looked momentarily shocked and quickly moved away from them.

          3. Oooh I saw that video clip (where William calls her a “witch”….give or take a letter)! That caused me to raise my eyebrows!

          4. The whole jubilee boat thing was a fiasco. She couldn’t figure out she was supposed to walk behind Charles and Camilla. Was that when she hit at least two people with her umbrella? William was constantly clenching his fists and jaw.

            He has to make up his mind. On the one hand he seems to like it that she doesn’t know protocol and messes up, as if it is some way of getting back at the royal family. But if he wants her to act silly and disregard protocol, he has to stop getting upset about it.

          5. You know I’ve always wondered that. Is this is way of sticking it to his family…..or to Kate? Like, he sees her bumble and screw up and he thinks to himself, “She chased this life but didn’t bother to read the playbook? Ha! Foolish Kate…”? If so, why do that to someone? A sick/mean way of making fun of/a fool out of them? Does he weirdly think it’s cute?

            If it’s to his family, why? They’re the one who provided him this lifestyle, they’ve taken care of him, they’ve swept his idiotic moments and yet, this is how he thanks them?

            **shakes head**

            Just me thinking outside of the box.

          6. If William called Kate the b word then that makes him a wife abuser. Period. And verbal abuse can escalate to physical abuse, in time. And the other people in brf, including Harry, need to intervene if they have witnessed this abuse or else they’re no better than the perpetrator himself.

          8. William was vaguely solicious and happy during their first 6mths.

            Vaguely in that he didn’t ignore or forget her all the time, he even smiled properly in her direction.

            Something happened before their 1st wedding anniversary because he was publicly vexed with her for a long time. Jaw was tightly clenched, he was short with her, deliberately or by design he would ignore her.

            He didn’t look like he enjoyed her company.

            The Jubilee barge was during this period and there were lots of twitter comments about him being sihhted anywhere away from his wife. Meanwhile Kate spent alot of time with mummy.

            The annoyed, clenched, tense look disappeared when she birthed PGtips.

            The video from their hospital conference is interesting to watch with the sound turned off.

            She looks like she’s finally given him the right present, and she can barely tear her eyes away from him. The baby barely gets a glance from her.

            He, meanwhile, looks properly ecstatic. Excited. Like he has received the best present ever.

            He has eyes for the baby mostly and rarely looks at Kate.

            You can imagine the surprise and disappointment that he was barely around for the baby those firdt few months. Something royalwatchers were speculating about which was later confirmed by Kate herself.

          9. Though I think I already know the answer to this question, does anyone know how William treated Kate during her pregnancies (specifically, with George)? We all know he wasn’t there for her when she drove herself to the hospital (hence why I’m saying that I probably know the answer to the question) but what about afterwards?

            Did he care for her during her morning sickness episodes? Give her words of encouragement when she saw her blossoming body? Go with her to doctor appointments? Or was it just Kate with her mom? Did he treat her differently when finding out that their second child was going to be a girl? Just wondering…..

  8. It seems royal reporters like Junor are more invested in preserving the monarchy than W is. At least the traditional monarchy. W and his FU behaviour is being stoked by Carole who is over playing her hand in her hamfisted, hellbent move to move closer to her goal of loading Iit over all the aristos. I sense an aggrieved Carole in that she’s most likely been the object of countless snubs and petty humiliations by the aristocracy throughout her life. She is laser focused on payback. W is her tool.

    Jen, I agree. Junor is wrong. W’s behaviour is a symptom of his reckless arrogance and disdain for his responsibility. He is on a self destructive path.

    2. Junor and co heavily invest in preserving the myth for personal gain. It’s increasingly important to ask where writers’ interests lie before accepting their words. Junor’s belong in the circular filing cabinet.

      If Carole is operating as William’s whisperer, then he is an even bigger fool that I thought him to be. The Windsor’s will dig in; they always do because they have too much to lose. How long the public will put up with their money wasted on this family is the more interesting story to watch.

    3. What’s your obsession with her mother, you never see her or hear her expect for kate’s birthday and christmas. They are living their lives not doing anyone any harm.

      If william according to reports is not listening to charles and the queen then he is certainly not listening to her mother. You can critise kate and william for what they do or not do but why not leave her family out of it.

      1. Never see or hear except at bday and Christmas? Bwahaha thanks for the laugh but Not true
        My problem with Carole (and mike for being complicit) is that she raised her daughters to seek out (preferably) titled rich men. They enabled their lackadaisical attitudes and beck and call ways by paying for their livelihood instead of having them get jobs. Most people with college degrees go out into the work force. Kate could have essentially had any art house/museum open their doors for her. Or if you believe the narrative that being the gf of William didn’t allow for such work she could have started volunteering for some charities. She did nothing instead. I picture their evenings after dinner time going over Burke’s Peerage looking for eligible guys =)
        Her family i.e. Carole are in the middle of it. She’s not blithely living her life at bucklebury, although she might at the moment to help plan Pippa’s wedding. For awhile she was living at anmer and running their house, might still be for all I know. From having the DM on speed dial to promote pro-Kate stories to using the grandkids against Charles. These aren’t the actions of a woman staying out of it, she’s put herself into it.
        Yes William and Kate, as adults are to blame for most of their own faults. Yet the people who prop them up and allow such poor behavior to continue are also at fault. From the Queen down to Carole.

        1. All those reasons you mentioned is your asssumption because you don’t know them, i don’t either but i am not making up a whole story how their relationships work.

          She uses the grandkids against charles? How in the hell would you know that? Maybe it’s wiliam who has a bad relationship with his father and that’s the reason they don’t see each other much. Who knows why. The only people who do know are them.

          BTW she never lived at amner dm had to retract that story and publicly made a statement on their website it was not true.

          1. Ha! Most of what we discuss on here is based on speculation/assumption from common sense reasoning, snippets of convo, A photograph, brief interviews/videos
            *william’s a tool/ass/jerk do I know that for certain? Nope just speculation but common sense tells me he is based on—– fill in blank too many to post he could be the nicest bloke around for all I know but his public persona tells me other wise
            *kate is unintelligent again do I know that for certain? nope pure assumption based on all her asinine comments. She could be at home doing the Sunday NY times crossword, reading briefs and books to help her better communicate the heads together ambiguous statements for all I know. reasoning tells me otherwise tho
            Carole okay with daughters not working and funding their lifestyle assumption? you betcha based on neither of them having real jobs. She could have been at home begging them to get jobs for all I know. But common sense tells me you have no job or source of income one can’t have a place to live, buy clothes, food etc so money came from somewhere and that guess would be parents.
            So yes, there are assumptions made here but many of them aren’t too far off base

        2. I’m personally of the opinion that whether the Duchess worked before marriage or not shouldn’t concern us.She was rich enough to survive without working.Good for her.I know that some people work because they want to and that’s fine.People are different from one another.The real problem is the over praising of royals world wide because they don’t deserve it except a few exceptions.

          1. It speaks to her character or lack thereof. Beatrice and Eugenie work, although people like to pretend they don’t, and they’re rich enough not to as well. And are bashed constantly for it, even though they work and do loads of charity work.

            She didn’t even do charity work, but was kept by her parents (and Uncle Gary’s) money in the family’s pursuit of status. She devoted herself to being the beck-and-call-girl for a Prince, because she and her family wanted the prize. No one should be surprised that she is lazy now, she’s been lazy her whole life.

          2. Candice: You have a point, and usually i do agree that whatever these women/ men do or don’t do before they marry royal is inconsequential.

            What matters is what they do onde they are in the royal club.

            Now, what they do before they become royal can be a good indicator of how they work as royals, and in very rare cases do we see a marked difference between the two sides.

            In Kate’s case, no work before. No desire to work, not even for her parents. Lots of articles about her sloppy manners, rudeness to staff or other regular people, disappointing charities that wanted to work with her. Heck, she was disappointing in the only job we know she had – Jigsaw – preferring to vacation and party rather than work a job that had already been tailored to support the demands of her love life – seriously, you try putting that as a condition of accepting any job.

            If, as her PR sold her, she had turned out to be a worker post marriage, her non-working life pre-marriage would be ignored.

            Sadly, she is continuing her post married life in the same way she lived her pre-married life, including using PR to tells us of her intentions to work someday soon or after some arbitrary deadline based on her private life.

          3. Candice, okay, Kate did not need or want to work but it’s worth looking at what did with her time post-university/pre-marriage, some six years. It appeared to comprise years of shopping, multiple holidays and being available to William on demand. Her choice, of course, and her parents and Uncle Gary clearly saw no issue in financially supporting her. But it does indicate a certain vacuity, an incurious, insular mind and self-absorption. Why bother with four years of university to not pursue any activity – work, philanthropy, volunteer, further study – afterwards?

            Since the marriage, we have seen the same traits borne out in public engagements undertaken: slow to take up work, difficulty in empathising with others, and just lazy. If work/being involved in something teaches one anything, it is to consider others, persevere and find compromise. it provides structure and can be a means to great personal achievement. These are all qualities required for the role she sought for ten years.

      2. Ha ha ha ha!! I’m trying to figure out why you suddenly showed up and are hell bent on putting everyone on this site in their place and telling them why they are wrong about everything. Then you go to bat for people you don’t know, which is why you attack the people on here for NOT going to bat for them. Makes me immediately suspect, but that is kind of what I do for a living.

  9. I agree that the biggest problem with this trip was preception. He was so incredibly stupid to go that weekend. Had he not gone that weekend or made it back in time for the commonwealth service everyone would have been much more positive about the trip because they got to see a glimpse of his personality that we rarely see and see him genuinely happy and relaxed. Also everyone loves a bad dance video. William is very tone deaf, out of touch, and very bad at PR. I have a feeling that William thinks he is not any of those things.

    I think everyone in his life has done him a great disservice by never calling him out. Starting with his family. His father and grandmother have never held him accountable for his actions as a child and allowed this behavior to develop into what it is today. I don’t mean to absolve William in any of this. He is a grown man, and if he even spent one minute in personal reflection he would be a better man than he is today.

    Moving forward I see only one way to change his behavior because like I said I don’t think William is willing or even maybe capable at this point to do some personal reflection on his actions and decisions that have lead him to this point. Charles and HM need to take their heads out of the sand. They need to cut him off completely from the free flowing money and tell him that this behavior is not acceptable. Then his entire staff need to be fired and replaced with people who are intelligent and have more experience. They also need to not be afraid to tell him no.

    William, Kate, and Harry need to come to terms with their loss of privacy. I think they all struggle with this notion that they can be public only when they want to be. They need to realize and accept that they aren’t normal. Nothing about their existence is normal. Their idea of normal isn’t even normal. They don’t want to be truly normal people who work 40+ hours a week to pay the bills and mortgages on their homes. They want to be like their super exclusive, very wealthy group of friends, which is very much not normal. I really think all of them would benefit from professional help to teach them coping mechanisms.

    Unfortunately, I believe that nothing will change. Everything is going to go back to the status quo very soon, and I have probably spent more time on reflection of the situation then William.

    1. Carter you said it beautifully. I will also add, if WK & Harry only want to be public figures for part of the time- then they should get paid accordingly and only take partial pay and perks for a part-time job (what they do is not even a part-time job based on the hours they “work” per week, more a casual job actually). How obnoxious of them that they expect full-time pay and luxury perks & live out a majority of their lives in complete privacy on taxpayers’ dime, while putting in casual hours as public officials serving the public.

      1. Exactly. I’ve long thought that if a monarchy persists it should be (1) only for a defined number of state occasions (2) paid modestly on a per diem basis. After that, they are on their own. Imagine the pants-wetting that would ensue.

      2. Totally agree. How sick I am of hearing that since William is “only heir to the heir” that not much should be expected of him or Kate, but then to claim that because he is heir to the heir that he and she deserve public respect and access to millions of taxpayer pounds for housing, travel, security, etc. Can’t have it both ways. Shouldn’t take more than you’re willing to give.

        1. I agree Lizzie, that argument really doesn’t hold water when those who have no chance of succession (Anne, Edward, Sophie, etc) do more then those that will succeed.

    2. Carter, I so agree.

      And apologies for calling you Cookie upthread, which I didn’t notice until now. No idea where that came from. The flying typing fingers got way ahead of the muddled brain.

  10. I’m not a royalist. I follow the Royal Family as a means of harmless escapism. I enjoy the engagements, clothes, jewelry, and yes, even the scandals. This blog is more interesting than others I follow because it is not a fan page but a critical blog. Some of the comments I find to be unnecessarily harsh but for the most part I enjoy the different viewpoints. When it comes to this last William gaffe, however, it seems that he has shot himself in the foot so badly that there is no room for defense. There isn’t much more for me to add to what has already been said by my fellow commenters except that whether it is conscious or unconscious, I believe that William is guilty of self-sabotage. He doesn’t want to be King. He wants to live the life of the country squire like his friends without the heavy responsibility that comes with royal duty. He doesn’t have the sense of duty that QEII and the POW have. He has inherited the maverick side of his mother’s personality without her work ethic.
    I sincerely doubt that William will ever be King. I see him doing an Edward VIII, who by the way, I have never bought the overly romantic story that he gave up the Crown for the woman he loved. That was just a very convenient excuse for leaving behind the role that he didn’t want because he could not have his own way and felt too confined by the expectations and restrictions of being King. Neither he nor William would put their country before themselves, which is really what is required of a successful Monarch.

    1. While he may want to give up his place in line I doubt he’ll do it. Carole has too much invested in this. She’ll whisper in his ear as she’s giving him cheese toast that’s this is his birthright and that as king he’ll truly be able to do what he wants.

      1. Carole isn’t that much younger than Prince Charles. Who knows if she will even be around when Charles goes? Also, William seems to be increasingly resistant to criticism and direction. Too much pushing and Carole could find herself cast out, too.

        1. What’s your obsession with her mother, you never see her or hear her expect for kate’s birthday and christmas. They are living their lives not doing anyone any harm.

          If william according to reports is not listening to charles and the queen then he is certainly not listening to her mother. You can critise kate and william for what they do or not do but why not leave her family out of it.

          2. You’ve erm… accidentally copied and pasted this same exact non-starter at least five times on this comments section. Either you are not reading, or your keyboard is wildly malfunctioning.

            In either instance, I am sorry for you.

      2. We’ll see, if and when Pippa or James ever has kids. Will Carole drop everything to be the hands-on granny for those kids? Or is she only there, inserting herself in everything and making herself all-important, when they are the royal grandchildren?

        But yes, even Carole knows that she takes a back seat to Jecca and can only push so far. The Middletons have taken a few swipes at Jecca (Tanna calling her William’s Camilla), but William hasn’t stopped his allegiance to her.

        1. Carole is spotted more with pippa then kate so i would say that she wiil have a good relationship with any other grandchildren she will have.

          Every time you mention jecca this, jecca that. How would you even know that. You are just making it up as you go along, first it was she is william’s mistress and now that she is married with a son you are still saying she has a say over william.

          Tannia is a liar. He sent tweets out kate is pregnant when it wasn’t true he deleted them. Last example is last week when he said that there would be a tell all about william’s weekend away. He hates william.

          1. For your last sentence, you can’t prove he lies. Tanna says that Harry’s and Meghan’s steamy photo will be published like other and they will not published.
            It is possible too that someone block the story about william’s week end

          2. Tanna gets knowledge from the Middletons and has since the dating years. Carole Middleton asked him for copies of photos he took of Kate. Kate rang him up when she’d go out and was looking to get William back, swanning out of clubs having fun without him.

          3. @clem

            So carole asked for copies of pictures and that means she is leaking? Ughhh (Carole asked copies when pippa middleton graduated, kate wasn’t there because she wanted pippa to have the attention). Nothing more, nothing less

            Tannia hates william because he is banned from the parks surrounding kp.

            He is constantly attacking william and kate on his twitterfeed and making lies up about them but yes middletons are leaking ofcourse …… NOT

          4. @notso
            I didn’t speak about Carole or Middleton leaking info, read correctly please what I say (even if my English is bad, not my first language)

            I just say that sometimes there are pictures or articles that are ready to be published but at the last time, they are not published : V. Arbiter speaks about the photos of Harry and Meghan which should be published on etnow. But at the last time, they were not published.
            I wanted to say that maybe the same thing occur for the tell story : at the last time, the people refuses to speak or the palace blocks the story (like for Harry and Meghan’s picture, if it is the palace which suceed to block them).
            I don’t follow everytime Tanna : maybe he knows W and K more than us, he can criticize them (right of expression) till he doesn’t insult them.
            Anyway I don’t see why he lies on the subject of the tell story.

          5. not interesting, I do agree with you about Carole and any children Pippa may have: I think Carole will be very involved with them, and will make sure that they grow up closely with George and Charlotte.
            As for Jecca though, William’s devotion to her and to her family cannot be doubted: Skipping his own cousin’s wedding, skipping his daughter’s first Easter, skipping away on a hunting holiday with her and other male friends, even proposing to Kate on Jecca’s family’s land–and these are instances that are publicly known. Who knows what more has gone on privately. William has made perfectly clear for years that Jecca and the Craig family are more important to him than his own family, even now that he is married with children, and this must be an enormous concern for Carole.
            And regarding Tanna, he has been used and abused by the Middletons. I doubt that William or any of the other royals ever cared for him to start with, but he definitely had some sort of mutually beneficial relationship with the Middletons early on. The way in which they turned on him means that he will now lash out at them every opportunity he gets, no matter how flimsy the source. He is a problem and annoyance for them that they themselves created.

          6. I’ve never said Jecca is his mistress, but I do think she is the one person/opinion he puts above all others. Her being married with a son doesn’t change that, him being married with two kids hasn’t changed that. As Lizzie so aptly pointed out, William publicly chooses Jecca over his family. Not making any of it up, it is there in what he does.

    2. He may want to step away, but he never will. He doesn’t want to do the work but he is too invested in the perks that come along with being King. He cannot afford the lifestyle that he and his wife have become accustomed to on his inheritance from Diana alone. That will be the only reason I believe he will not step down. The only thing that will force him to step down, in my opinion, is if he does something illegal.

      1. Carter, you are exactly right as to why William will not walk away. It’s not only the material perks he is accustomed to but also the deference that comes solely because he is heir to the heir. He might step away if guaranteed the existing financial perks from Duchy funds but I reckon he wants all the dosh from that little earner. But yes, if he got caught doing something illegal or taped speaking about how he loathed the British people etc, he’d be gone.

      2. Or the Commonwealth countries can choose Harry as their Head of State which the UK would want Harry as their King and that can push William out of the line of succession.

        1. Kitty, you do realize that will never, ever happen, right?

          The mere thought of changing the succession would topple the entire institution. Westminster doesn’t want that, nor do the Windsors.

      1. I mean “maverick” in the true sense of the word: an unorthodox or independent-minded person, a nonconformist. Like Diana, William does not want to be controlled and told how to behave. In Diana’s own words in the Panorama interview, she was a “non-starter.”

    4. And with Edward VIII there was a lot of government involvement because they hated him–he was really progressive in a lot of ways and most likely a Nazi sympathizer (Chamberlain afaik thought Hitler was a-okay and into appeasement as well!)–and he hated the job and did poorly at it because God forbid he /work/! It sure wasn’t some romantic story. Instead it was a calculated plot.

      I can see William giving it up once HM dies, but I think the Middletons would shank him and threaten him so he wouldn’t. All that stalking…for what…

    5. You just summed up how I feel exactly, but it’s becoming a bit less of an escape for me because I vacillate between feeling kind of bad for Kate and then just feeling annoyed with both of them.

      1. I feel like I’m watching a car crash in slo-mo. With w&k being one car and the monarchy the other. The only triage I see going on is a few sycophantic reporters still trying to hold a giant laceration together with a band-aid (plaster)
        I don’t know if it’s intentional with William or if he just doesn’t give a f**k
        I can’t turn away at this point

        1. Sarah, it’s out of control, and unsustainable.

          The outlandish benefits have corroded the character of the Windsor’s to the point that they are unable to function without the taxpayer. And their relevance and perceived value is diminishing: William and Kate’s attitudes bring sharp focus to this.

          You only have to see how the minor royals flail about; regardless of the best schools and connections, they struggle to achieve any level of independence or success. Their life experiences are so rarefied, setting them so far apart from their fellow citizens; in short, it is disabling.

  11. William his whole life has been groomed as an heir. Yet what a waste. The best schools, grooming, and the genetic lottery, have done nothing for him. Does he not realize that with all the perks he has comes with it responsibility? Duty over self. For him it’s self over duty. Wake up William!!!! Stop playing the orphan boy of St. Diana. Please do not get me wrong. Losing a parent is a tragic and horrible thing to go through. Especially when you are young and in formative years. Harry lost his mother too. Yet, he doesn’t play the victim card like William. Harry honors his mother’s legacy in his charity work. William just seems like a lost little boy. Floundering through his life. Starting stuff and yet never finishing anything at all.

    William really needs a kick in the ass. So does his wife. Step up. Embrace your roles and get on with it. Or step down. Go live the private lives you so want. Yet not funded by the tax payers. I’m not a huge Charles fan. Yet I respect his intelligence, passion, and sense of duty. He works hard. As he should. Charles puts the hours and prep into his engagements. And it shows.

    So HM and Charles really need to shake things with the Snowflake William. And all the young Royals. Either they make them get they’re acts together or they do not. These behaviors attitudes, and pampered lifestyles will not be tolerated anymore. I think the only way you get them to fall in line is cut them off financially. I think that is then only thing that would hurt them.

      1. That would be my solution. If I were the Queen. I would be damned if I let this 34 year brat sink a thousand year old institution. Time to get tough.

  12. There is a little snippet on blind items site, that Kate publicly called out william during the French visit for his boorish behaviour to those who were showing him around. Sounds odd, but perhaps no smoke without fire and it was her little revenge?

        2. Most blind items are made up rubbish. That particular blind item website is notorious for making stuff up. It’s in their own disclaimer.

          And this particular one is completely out of character for Kate to tell off William especially in public. It wouldn’t fit her ‘perfect couple in love’ image that she projects.

          Iand it especially doesn’t fit the normal pattern of Kate being completely subservient to William in public.

          1. I just thought it was odd, not their usual blind item, and as you say not usual kate behaviour.

            I just wondered if anyone had seen any photos that corresponded.

            Some of their blind items so end up being right, not many but some!

          2. Most of the time, they right up blind items after media reports have come out elsewhere.

            They then claim to have written a true blind item when the information was never blind to begin with.

            The only person whose blind items are true is Lainey Gossip and that’s only because she’s a proven entertainment reporter.

            Enty at CDAN is a fraud in every way including his credentials.

  13. Thanks for such an excellent post KMR!!!

    One point that the media failed to mention was the narrative that W&K have been spinning about how they simply can’t attend to more royal duties because that might compromise their children’s mental well being. I would truly appreciate someone in the media pointing out how this attitude is a slap in the face to all other working parents out there, many whose taxes fund W&K’s luxury lifestyle. Also, imo the fact that William choose to attend the wedding of an ex-girlfriend rather than spend time with his daughter for her first Easter or spending 4 days larking about with the guys the weekend before both he and Kate would be in Paris is more damaging to his children’s feelings then being absent while being of service to others.

    Another point that could be made is why didn’t Kate attend the CW service? She certainly could have been there to represent the House of Cambridge. My husband and I frequently have to split up these types of duties when conflicting events are happening in our little world and I’m sure other couples do the same. So where was she? getting her hair done again?

    Lastly, I think this opened a bit of a window into the Cambridge’s life and the view isn’t all that great. My gut feeling tells me that W&K really don’t spend all that much time together and I really don’t think that William spends any time alone with his kids. I can’t recall ever seeing a photo or hearing a tidbit about William being out and about with either of his children, Kate we’ve seen but never William. I think that William is off doing whatever it is he wants to do, when he wants to do it and Kate spends more time at Buckleberry with her mother rather than sitting at home waiting on William to decide he wants to spend time with her and the kids.

    1. W is a hypocrite. But he mouths all the phoney spin the Midds (Carole) blather on about how they are the perfect family. Pips noted that one instance of perfectt If the girls perfection was the family always had lunch togethet. But they attended day school and there’s no way they always had lunch together. So many holes and inconsistencies in their family narrative.

      I think W found a soul mate in Carole in that they both harbor deep grievances for slights and sins against their personal perceptions. W with the press and his dysfunctional parents. Carole with her rebuffs from aristo society and most likely a narcissistic mother.

    2. You reap what you sow. Who I really feel bad for is George and Charlotte. They are the ones that suffer. I can’t even imagine not being there for a first of anything. Yes you cannot be there all the time. Yet to miss your daughter’s first Easter. To jet off to Africa to attend the wedding of you ex is horrible.

      Also to use and hide behind your kids is horrible as well. I’m still waiting for a photo or a cute story to leak about the kids. Isn’t it par for the course. Imo, I do not think either one are happy in the marriage. William is a man child, who is stunted in his growth as a well adjusted person. He has deep underlying issues. Which stem from his parents public feuds in the press, his mother using him as a emotional support, and ultimately her death. He is a paranoid, control freak. Who wants to manage this carefully crafted image of his family. Hands on dad. How hands on is he?

      Now I’m not letting Kate off the hook. She is controlled by Mummy Dearest Carole. Who has sold her daughter out. For what?? A title, a future queen consort, wealth, privilege, pampering, and real estate???? Carole, how happy is your daughter mentally and emotionally???? She looks tired and haggard. Yet does not have much of a drive or work ethic. All and all just a Barbie doll. No substance.

    3. And, if you are concerned about your children’s well-being, why would William leave his family on Easter Sunday? Why would he party so grandly, knowing only too well that photos would appear somewhere? Does he care about his kids and wife only when it suits him to do so?

      1. Exactly. William is so worried about his wants and needs. He seems to forget he has a wife and children. A real man puts his wife and children first. Not the other way around.

      2. I am so glad the wedding trip during Easter is being brought up again. No father who actually wants to be a part of his children’s lives ever skips holidays. The only exception being a work related reason which will never apply to William.

        The kids are used as a shield to deflect from doing more. Both he and Kate do it and it is offensive. Their engagements even if done at the level Charles does them would not be as intensive as what regular working parents have to deal with. Plus they have at least one full time nanny if not more.

    4. I literally feel rage when I think about their line about having to not be around their children to do royal duties. It takes what, maybe six hours there and back to do an engagement in London when they only spend an hour at the actual event? And if it’s a full day and the kids do have to spend overnight with grandma or the nanny that doesn’t seem like it’s at all out of the norm for them. My girls adore getting to spend the night with their grandparents. And even when my Will and I were shooting weddings regularly, my daughters totally took it in stride. Those kids see more of their parents than 90% of the children in Britain.

      1. Too true, it’s not like these royal duties are tacked on to a full work week.

        The only point I might challenge is them seeing their parents more than most kids in Britain. They would love us to believe that but too much of a stretch for me. They live in the same house, but are cared for by well paid hired help. Kate has her personal daily priorities and William has his. I believe they love their children but I don’t believe they spend much time with them and wouldn’t know how to cope if they had to.

        Interesting (in a very good way) how Kate is lending her voice to the post partum videos “Out of the Blue”. I think many suspected something the 9mths- 1 yr after George was born, her demeanor and appearance changed so drastically. Whether she cops to anything or not I am pleased to see this initiative.

        Also, Harry’s day yesterday- I mean really hard not to love this guy. He may act the entitled brat at times, but is the very best face of the future the BRF has to put forward. I am sure dad and gran count their stars with this this guy- he cares and he knows what is expected and the people really **love** him.

        1. Good for Kate for participating in the “Out of the Blue” videos, but I firmly believe that the change in demeanor you refer to was more related to William’s hunting holiday with Jecca that took place during that time period. If my husband had done anything like that I would have been in a seriously depressed state, too.

          1. Lizzie, I wonder if it’s combination of both. Post partum depression + husband galavanting around + pressures to be perfect (self imposed or otherwise) = disaster. Sometimes I feel bad for her, but then I counter that with “she persued Will and that life”.

          2. Oh I agree Miss K that a combination of factors were involved, but I just wanted to emphasize the role that the William/Jecca relationship has played–and still plays–in Kate’s own life.

  14. Apparently William did not learn one of the biggest lessons in regards to his mother’s success: charm the media. Diana made friends with some reporters, tipped off the press, gave discreet interviews. William doesn’t have to go that far, and courting the media backfired for Diana at times, but he should try to curry a little favor. His mother won the PR war of the Wales because she tried. William doesn’t try. He just expects people to show up when he wants, report some niceties, and then leave him alone when he wants. That is a losing strategy.

    1. Oh, my goodness. What is going on outside Parliament? A shooting?
      Very frightening. What a nightmare. Now, I read that many pedestrians were mowed down on a nearby bridge. What is going on? I hope everyone is safe.

        1. As am I, BethNY. This is just awful and another sign of the danger we all face these days. My prayers are joining your prayers, Beth.

        1. Scary and horrible tragedy. It’s so sad that this the world we live in today. This shouldn’t be common place. Yet this is reality in today’s world. Prayers for London.

          1. And, I join in prayers for those who have been hurt and for peace around the world. Isn’t today the first anniversary of the Brussels terror attacks? We are living in dangerous times and must come together for the good of all. Hatred must be stopped.

            I came to this thread with my own thoughts on the subject of PW, but cannot bear to comment now. Just want to wish everyone safety and goodness. May God bless all and I am not being overly religious, I hope. Whatever the Higher Power is, I hope we mortals come together embrace the good.

          1. My heart breaks for London in what is yet another terrorist incident (not officially confirmed by investigators yet). My thoughts are with those who live in and have loved ones in London and for the families of the victims and the survivors. And I know our police and military oftentimes get negative headlines for right and wrong reasons, but I cannot express enough my admiration for men and women in uniform, who put themselves in harm’s way everyday, just so everyone else can remain safe.

          2. I concur. God bless the brave men and women who protect us.
            And, prayers and thoughts of comfort to the victims and their loved ones. I feel as if I cannot make any comments anymore on the rest of this thread. Not when so many sad things are going on.

    1. Yes, this. Prayers for the city, and for the families of those who lost their lives today (I hear it was one woman, who was mowed down by the car). 🙁

      1. 4 dead including one police officer and the attacker. Some very seriously injured. I’m so lucky my son and brother are safe but others are not so lucky. Terrible terrible day when will this stop? Air ambulance did an amazing job by the way!!

        2. Glad your family is okay, Birdy. <3 A friend of mine is a staffer in Parliament for a Tory MP. She says they're all right, thank God.

          Bless the brave policeman who lost his life protecting everyone today, prayers to his family and loved ones. I spent a lot of time chatting with some lovely policemen and women outside Parliament when we visited. Just wonderful people, I felt so safe.

  16. I hope all of you who are in the London area are safe and my thoughts are with you and with the families whose loved ones are victims of this horror. Feels like our whole world is descending into madness, but I did see pictures in the NY Times of people helping and comforting victims, so that gives me hope.

    1. Who cares? There was just a attack much more important then crowds. BTW why are you so obsessed with crowds, every post you are asking about that….. just not important

      1. of course there are more important things going on in the world than Royal watching and commenting on their issues. Whether it’s terroist atracks, upcoming elections in France, recent election in Holland and the never ending issues of things going on in the US
        This is a place for people to escape all of that, even if it’s just for a brief moment in time. Sometimes a little fluff is needed

      2. Lol, obviously you care. I just noticed there are a ton of comments from you all over different time periods today, so obviously you care because you are getting worked up over comments you don’t agree with on here. Thanks for a laugh on such a horrible day, it was needed.

        1. I am not getting worked up i am LMAO at some of these comments.

          Some comments are based on facts and i even agree with some of them.

          But some of these comments are just to much….. stating things as facts when they were made up at forums and dm. Yes i read those too for a good laugh because those people are ten times worse then on here.

          You are vilifying people you don’t know, you don’t know their relationships or the innnerworkings of their thoughts and feelings. I don’t either btw.

          William and kate are just people who make good desisions and bad ones. Just like everybody else only when we make bad ones they are not magnified in the media. Thank god for that.

          3. You are blindly defending people you don’t even know so how are you different.
            But thanks for the sad attempts at trolling. Go on a sugar site if you want to read sycophantic comments.

      3. You are welcome to your opinion here, but not when you start trashing and belittling other posters who see things in a different way. Healthy debate, spirited conversation or commiseration, sure, but a person can disagree without being rude. We’re more likely to listen to what you have to say and consider it, if you change your tone.

        1. +1000 @notsoimportant: obviously you do care. You have commented on numerous posting throughout yesterday. There is no need to be rude or short with people. We all come here as a form of escape. We also show respect to fellow commentators. You can debate in a healthy way. No need to be nasty.

      4. I’m not sure who you are or what your stake is in this blog, but the pettiness has gotten out of hand. I’m fairly certain that you haven’t read the comment policy but directly stalking and attacking anyone who says something about Kate, Will, and their family appears to be against the policy. In addition it’s obvious that you know them in some way and have taken upon yourself to protect them.
        What Will did was abhorrent. Period. He does minimal work for maximum benefits and if he was on welfare he would be on every news story about how horrible welfare is. It doesn’t take half a brain to understand that Kate did everything she could to land him. She has done very little most of her life and it is documented over and over again.
        You claim stories have been retracted because they weren’t true and yet you haven’t offered any proof of that.
        Yes, what happened in London was horrible. Have you ever once thought that perhaps for for the hundreds of millions of dollars diverted towards the BRF and their partying, were to be placed towards security maybe, just maybe it wouldn’t have happened.
        Please have a well thought out reason for what you write, otherwise I will point out all the holes in yours, Kate, and Will’s arguments until you have nothing left to say.
        I met those two and paid $1500 to meet them. They were rude and had no desire to meet anyone regardless of the fact that we had paid to meet them. She wasn’t pretty in person and he wasn’t the least bit handsome.
        They have one job: represent the people of the UK in a manner that shows that they actually care about their subjects. They continually fail and you protecting them only shows have far they have sunk.

        2. +10000.

          I always am amazed of your story of having met them and they just showed how rude they are… why this doesn’t get out more, I don’t know, as I’ve seen more stories of it. After all you have been through, and then on top of it paid money to be at a charity event to meet them, for someone like that to be dismissive and rude just makes me ragey.

        3. Springsmom, I knew you had met them, but I didn’t know you thought Kate wasn’t pretty in person. Everyone says how much prettier she is in person (but they are also talking to magazines). I am always shocked by unphotoshopped photos. Is she more plain in person? The photo shopped photos make Kate look beautiful.

    2. Not a large crowd in France (someday fifty behind a barrier) and after they were tourists at Orsay but they were not here for K and W but for the museum.

      My heart is with London, UK! When the end of this terrorist attacks will arrive?

      1. When people around the world begin to take this seriously and realize that they are not immune to these acts. It’s terrorism. Plain and simple. Call it what it is and align decent people and governments to fight it. I’m tired of pussy footing around and not saying what it is when it happens. God bless us we are doomed if we don’t recognize this and stand up against it.

      2. I noticed the photos were closely cropped when showing W+K interacting with people, presumably to disguise the small numbers. Of course, children are always rounded up to provide bulk. No mention of numbers in articles written about the trip, just complicit gushing re. W+K’s soft diplomacy.

        1. Well Jen, I read that Diana literally had hundreds of crowds show up to see her on a regular engagement but on royal tours would be thousands. Says much about her doesn’t it?

          1. Different times, Kitty, due to the intensity and immediacy of the 24/7 communication cycle. We don’t know how Diana would be perceived today, what choices she might have made.

  18. He gets away with a lot, because people here still think of them as the”boys”. Dianna is huge here, Charles is still to blame for everything. Most older people see William as the cute baby boy crawling on the lawn. The press needs to step up and show what really is happening, and stop treating him like a baby.

    1. The press insists on referring to W+K+H as ‘young royals’ when they are closer to middle-age. They infantilise the brothers as ‘boys’ and their exploits (when caught) as just lads letting off steam. They do those two men no favours with such an approach; it excuses them of accountability.

      I wonder if people would view that panorama interview differently in 2017? It comes across as highly manipulative and coquettish. I imagine fro some, Charles will always be bad; I recall the complete bleakness and utter grief on his face when Diana’s coffin was carried past him and his sons.

      1. In the news today was an article saying Charles wept the night before his wedding because he had been forced into marriage and he didn’t love Diana. He was a mature man he should have known better. The ‘whatever love is ‘ quote was so hurtful to Diana. What a mess , but was Will also pushed to make a decision?

        1. Philip told Charles to marry Diana or cut her loose. I don’t think Charles would have pushed him to marry someone he wasn’t really in love with. That whole rumored “doesn’t love Kate Middleton enough to marry her” discussion with HM, Charles, and William. But William is stubborn, so I’m sure he wouldn’t take advice.

          As James W said, loves her but isn’t in love with her. Wants her around because he thinks he can trust her, and she’ll put up with anything for the prize of being Princess of Wales.

          3. I’ll continue to find the opinion of a decades-long royal watcher, know to have insider information from the courtiers, as interesting and insightful. He really had his finger on the pulse. He pegged William’s attitude years ago, and Kate Middletons. Criticized at the time, he’s proven to be right.

        2. I don’t think so, Birdy. I think times have changed since the days of Charles and Diana. Phillip is of the generation that worried about a young woman’s reputation, the implication being that if she was romanced by the POW but he didn’t marry her that she would be seen as damaged goods and wouldn’t be able to make a good marriage with another aristocrat. I don’t think that is an issue today.

      2. Charles broke down in tears in public after Diana died. There’s video of him in tears, it’s sad and very real and raw. It’s not fake. From all I had read they both said they did love each other in a different sort of way, and definitely cared about one another and both loved their children they had together, and that they were starting to get on well and want the best for the other when she had died.

        Had she not died I do not believe she would have left as much of a legacy; I remember even being young when she died that people complained about her dramatics and such quite a lot, but she was still the Saint in the tableau between her and the evil Charles.

        Harry is doing some work with landmines and the Halo Trust, and is attending a conference tomorrow (I think it’s tomorrow). Glad someone is picking up the important bits of her charitable legacy. Sad it ain’t William but Harry is genuine and real about it, I’m glad he’s passionate about things like both his parents. Also his meetings with UN advisors on the AIDS crisis and such at KP.

  19. Honest question-does anyone think this is going to be long term in regards to the press being critical over William or will it just be another flash in the pan? I sadly think this will be another brief fall out with William and the press. Come April all will be forgiven and fawning over him again.

    1. That’s what I think, too. This little round of criticism from the press is all well and good (and accurate), but it won’t last long.

      1. No messages from the BRF tonight surely they should be making at least a statement? HM is quick to sympathise with any other terror around the world she is our HOS…..no comment. I’m not impressed.

        1. I know, I’m pretty shocked HM has said nothing. I heard she met with the PM tonight–but it’s Wednesday so they usually meet–maybe she held off until the conference, who knows, but it’s not impressive.

        2. I agree Birdy. Wonder where are all the Royals? It is surprising that no one has made a public statement? Surely, the Queen & Charles need to lead the way and make a short but public statement, followed up with going out and meeting the people of London?

          1. I just read the Queen’s statement. I thought it was fairly low key. Perhaps she was letting the PM have center stage for her response as it was, in part, an attack on Parliament.

        3. I read that Charles was out and about in Yorkshire and continued with his engagements after hearing about the London attack. Good call, i’d say in the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ tradition. Camilla had an engagement in Newmarket.

          Harry, William and Kate had no public engagements today. The Queen was tucked up in BP.

  20. I remember playing in a park as a child in Australia and looking up to see the royals drive slowly past. I didn’t run after them for a better look, just went back to playing. I knew who they were but they didn’t mean anything to me.

    I became interested when Diana turned up. She was the reason I paid attention because the media made me pay attention. Since then I have become disinterested as I learned that some people are grand but only if we go along with that premise.

    I understand it can be hard to be followed around as a public figure but quite a lot of people choose to become famous and live in a fishbowl for various reasons. He gives the appearance that his problems are worse than the next royal or famous person which is not the case.
    Prince Philip once said they would go quietly if the people asked for it. I don’t think that is true. William may be frustrated being in the public eye however his actions say otherwise.
    That Elvis costello lyric ‘you’re only the boss of me as long as you pay my wage.” sums it up for me. He spends money on his homes, he wears good clothing, eats what he wants and does what he wants for a large percentage of the year.

    Other public figures manage to go about their business under the radar when they seriously want alone time. They have various places that cater to celebrity down time. Harry has learned how to quietly get on with his life by the mistakes he made.
    I think William doesn’t always think things through. He uses the press as an excuse but they can only report on what they see that he does or does not do. A public area is a public area. He has to know there is a possibility he will be seen.
    The Queen is not a fool. She has held the family together through decades of turmoil so if she said he didn’t need to attend she would have known there was a possibility William would be seen and judged for his absence.
    Its not rocket science to time your breaks around important occasions. I wonder if there is more to this story than we know. They have a year in which they plan their movements and if he was allowed a last hurrah before starting royal work in earnest it makes sense that his mates would be accommodating and considerate of the timing and repercussions of this boys weekend.

    It doesn’t make sense for William to continue his youthful disregard for the media and by extension the public into his 30’s . We all have to grow away from our childhood upsets and own who we are eventually.

    I sometimes feel he thinks all he has to do is show up like a pop star, as he did in India without actually putting in the legwork. He is no longer that shy, cute son of Diana. People want substance. His mother learned to do her homework before a tour and it made people feel appreciated. I hope I am wrong but I see some unfortunate situations for William unless things change.

  21. William is damaged goods and his wife is unable to step up and bring a higher level of depth to the charities she is involved in because she is a follower not a leader. If it’s true that her mother managed all aspects of her life it not surprising that she’s floundering. Kate didn’t seem to understand that marrying Wills meant a lifetime of work and an extremely high level of commitment. Why do you think William’s other girlfriends didn’t want the “job”. This isn’t a get married and walk off into the sunset type of relationship although both dearly wish it was. Finally, say what you want about Pippa but I have a feeling she would be much better in the job than Kate. Pippa is extremely disciplined and has raised money for many charities via her athletic prowess. She is a “doer” and Kate is a “hider” which would be fine except that her job demands that she be in the spotlight.

  22. I think it’s a case of bad timing. If William had gone skiing the weekend before then most paps who follow the royals around would have been following Harry.

    If any photos were taken then the ones of Harry and Meaghan would have sold better. Harry on the beach or balding William dancing badly – which would make you reach for a magazine?

    Husbands do take a trip away with the boys, it happens, just like girls weekends happen so I don’t find a problem with that. After all Kate may have gone away that weekend too? One of the sugar sites even suggested Kate and kids had gone to Middleton Manor. (Wedding planning?)

    But I do feel Willam should have been at the Commonwealth service. He is in line for the throne and he needs to step up. And I mean now, not in a(nother) gap year. Or once Charles is on the throne. It’s time to step up or step away.

    He also needs to take a good look at his marriage. I hate to think of any marriage failing but it seems to me that unless he was pushed William was not planning to marry Kate when he did? The whole relationship seemed forced to me, especially with Carole’s heavy handed guidance? I was stunned when I read some of the things she did to keep William interested in Kate, like giving up her bedroom to William and Kate? (Eeewww)

    Perhaps the relationship would have developed without Kate having to block other girls at St Andrews? Or without Carole’s interference? It may have and if it did then I think they would have been more happy now. There were some photos released from the Paris weekend showing a natural Kate (sans Photoshop) and the look on her face made me feel she is normally unhappy looking. Kate isn’t up to the role and it’s hurting her. What is also hurting her is her attempts to turn herself into what “she thinks” is needed. Hence the strained look as she drops below her natural size which is probably a UK size 10 or maybe a 12. I’d love to see a genuinely happy Kate and hope it is possible.

    In the meantime and especially considering what has happened in London it does make William’s actions seem rather irrelevant?

    I hope that English readers of this blog and their families are safe today and if you are in London that you are ok?

    #PrayforLondon

    1. Cathy, as always, you said it all!! Thanks for always being so on target, but in a ladylike way!

      And, yes, our thoughts and prayers are with all the people of London. Bless the families of the lost and all their loved ones. Makes you think about life in a deeper manner, doesn’t it?

      Birdy, I am sure you were so nervous when you could not reach family. I am happy to hear that everyone is well.

      1. Hi Jenny

        Thanks for the nice comments 🙂

        I hope you and Madeleine are both well and looking forward to summer?

        I’m picturing you both going for walks and having spring flowers everywhere, or am I a wee bit early for that picture?

        There was one thing that did give me hope after what happened in London, that there were people there with the injured. They didn’t run, they stayed, did what they could and comforted them. So that does give me hope that there are more people out there wanting to do good than bad?

  23. I was hoping you’d cover the William-backlash articles.

    As someone up thread said, William is damaged goods, has been since forever (I’m guessing since he was elementary school-age) and the Middletons took full advantage of that. They babied/smothered the sh!t outta him! That coupled with the over protection of the palace well longer than they should have (it should’ve ended when he left Eton) and you’ve got a man-child who has never been held accountable for his actions, behavior and treatment of others.

    This past week was the first time he’s ever been called out for skipping out on royal duties, acting like a frat-boy (instead of the soon-to-be-middle-age man he is), and other issues the press have had with him for years and they finally got sick and tired of having to be quiet and said “F You! We’re blowing your cover!”

    Unfortunately, once they release the next pictures of the kiddos, all will be well and many will ignore this past transgression (though, IMO, they shouldn’t).

    I would take Penny Junior’s words with a bit of a grain of salt because she’s been Charles’s mouthpiece for years and while she’ll sometimes say some not-so-nice things, she’ll ever flat out give William the much-needed verbal tongue lashing because she doesn’t want to be denied access within the royal reporters fold.

    Whew! I think I’m done!

    P.S. Today is Princess Eugenie’s 27th birthday (I know this because hers is the day after my youngest sister’s though my sis just turned 29).

    1. I was thinking that it is the second time that they have been called out for their behaviour, remembering them sunbathing in France on the balcony after skipping the Para-olympics. Sadly they did not learn from that ….

  25. William is disinterested about everything and his behavior and body language shows it all .
    Kate lacks substance .She only draws attention to her clothes

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