Royal Round Up: News on William, Kate & Harry after Philip’s retirement

Royal Round Up: News on William, Kate & Harry after Philip’s retirement

Following Prince Philip’s retirement announcement on Thursday, a ton of articles have come out about Philip and the future for Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry. This article covers just a few of them.

Firstly, a heartwarming visit from Harry: Harry made a surprise hospital visit to one of the 2016 WellChild Award recipients, six-year-old Ollie Carroll, spending about an hour with him and his sister. [Express]

William joined The Queen to host Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor and the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs of Burma, at Buckingham Palace on Friday. [Telegraph]

There has been lots of talk of the other royals stepping up to fill the void left by Philip.

Rebecca English’s take on “Team Windsor”:

    “After long conversations with the Queen and other members of the family – including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who agreed to move down to London this autumn to take on more royal duties as a result – Philip made up his mind. Aides say there will be ‘absolutely no change’ to the Queen’s schedule. Sources say the monarch, who turned 91 last month, will continue to undertake solo public engagements. But Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and the Earl and Countess of Wessex will accompany her to more official events. Palace insiders are referring to the new set-up as ‘Team Windsor’.
    “The news will also increase pressure on the younger members of the Royal Family – William, Kate and Harry – to do
    more. Philip carried out more days of public engagements last year – 110 – than Harry (86) or William (80). Bottom of the list was Kate, with just 63.
    “A source said: ‘The Queen is well used to doing engagements on her own. Equally, however, there is quite a bit of recent precedent with her doing engagements with family members, who aren’t the Duke of Edinburgh, and you will see more of that. It is also fair to say you will see other members of the Royal Family supporting and reinforcing the Queen’s official work. We are going to see a kind of Team Windsor supporting the Queen.'”

[Daily Mail]

Katie Nicholl’s take on “Team Windsor”:

    “At the Palace, timing is everything, and this period of transition has been pre-mediated and meticulously planned for. It is no coincidence that the Duke of Cambridge announced that he will be stepping down as an air ambulance pilot earlier this year. I revealed a year ago that the Duke is moving his family back to Kensington Palace in London later this summer when things will change significantly for the family. Up until now, they have enjoyed a sheltered life in Norfolk juggling their family with royal duties and their charitable commitments. Now their workload is set to increase substantially. […] But it is not just patronages the young royals are taking on but more responsibility. They will be expected to accompany the Queen, tour the Commonwealth realms on her behalf, and step in as consorts on occasions. While the Duke [of Edinburgh] won’t disappear from public life completely, he will be in the picture far less.
    “Says a source: ‘William Kate and Harry will all be expected to take on some of the organizations their grandfather will eventually hand over, but in the immediate future, they will be expected to support the Queen while she is on duty. They are going to be more high profile because quite simply there’s work to be done.’
    “At Kensington Palace, aides say that the couple have slowly been increasing their workload and that the Duke’s decision to leave the air ambulance was motivated by his desire to support the Queen. According to one courtier, ‘It has been an organic process.’ William and his wife will be stepping up their official number of engagements ‘considerably’ from this summer onward, and if Friday’s appearance is anything to go by, then we can expect to see Prince William by his grandmother’s side more often.”

[Vanity Fair]


145 thoughts on “Royal Round Up: News on William, Kate & Harry after Philip’s retirement

    1. I think he’s mid-walk in that photo, hence the odd foot placement, and moved closer when finished walking. But it was the only full length photo so that’s why I chose it.

    2. If you watch the video, you will see he stepped aside so a picture could be taken of just the Queen and Aung San Suu Kyi.

  1. Thanks for the quick response to what has happened this week KMR.

    Hope you are having a great weekend?

  2. Willy’s expression says ‘gotta go to the loo, and soon’ – and that’s the expression he has quite often in official engagements.

    Windsors have been in denial for a while about what will happen when Brenda and Phil have to call it call it quits.

    Charles and Camilla have been holding up their part of the royal family obligations with the public for the last decade. Translated to a family business, how long does the son of the owner need to work and keep engaged and up-to-date about the family business before the head of the company retires? In the Windsor company, forever seems to be the answer. And that is a trial for the heir to the company or the business.

    IMO, I think that EII’s idea that she will serve until she dies is an unreasonable position to take. The grandson is not ready to take the helm if required, yet her son has been more than ready for at least the last 20 years. Why won’t she relinquish her duties to him and retain the few that matter to her?

    Willy has spent his life being ticked-off about his mother’s shortened life. It’s tragic, but Willy get over it. Make your life the fair and generous example that you think her life would have been. Katie won’t help you. Her life’s goal has been reached. She won’t jeapordize that. Her mother won’t let her make her own mark. Once her mother is gone, she may try to be the person she could have been in 2016.

    Willy, you’re on your own so make an effort. Be the leader you should be. Learn from your father. He’s not the idiot you think he is. Your mother wasn’t the perfect person — none of us are. Stop hiding under the ‘because mummy’ banner. It makes you look weak and unable to act as an adult. That’s not an image you want to attach to yourself whether you choose to move forward with the monarchy or to reject the idea when your turn comes.

    1. Because HM made a vow before God that she would serve and be queen until the day she died. It’s not her fault she is long-lived, but it does put everyone else in a strange position for a very long time.

      1. It’s a good excuse. The old girl just doesn’t want to give up the throne. Charles would do a great job, better than her especially at her advanced age, but she’s not thinking of the realm and what’s best for the realm, IMO.

        1. No, it is the truth. For a religious person, you give a vow before God in Westminster Abbey like that–yeah, that’s a damn big deal and one you intend to kep. Also, the abdication of her uncle destroyed the family and nearly the monarchy, you think she would even consider it?

          Yes, I wish Charles would be King, especially as I do not think he will have much longer to be so, but I wouldn’t question HM’s motives over it. It just isn’t done. The whole abdication crisis scarred her psyche.

          And when so many people still want her to somehow bypass Charles, who deserves it, for William, who wants to run away after burning it all down..

          1. I agree !

            Its because of the realm why her oath and vow to God is so absolute – abdication is such a easy way out and prove the republic correct.

            As the lazy willnot cannot – millions of Duchy taxpayers handed over, was not so you become regular normal like the public and not work royal duties at their choosing ; what is the reason supporting a monarchy/ROyals….

        2. Agree totally. It’s also very selfish too. If she’s needing to hand over work to Charles, plus send others in her place overseas, it’s time to retire.

          1. Well, if the Pope had the good sense and integrity to retire, and if there’s anyone who was chosen by God it’s the Pope. IMO as a Roman Catholic. God can speak to His people and let them know it’s time, and I consider the queen to be quite picky about how she uses her God ordained power. How can she live in the absolute lap of luxury and obscene wealth and know that people are hungry, cold, homeless, struggling? And that’s just the beginning. I will say no more.

        3. The Queen’s vow of service for life doesn’t preclude Will from stepping up anyway. He just chooses not to. If he took up an extra 300 appearances, the Queen still has many more to do. In any case, Phil stepping down forces Will to pick things up. This seems to have been in the works since Christmas, hence the shadow court and tantrum. We knew early this year that Will wasn’t returning to his pretend co-pilot job and the move to KP was another sign. Despite the Daily Mail using the term emergency, this was always part of the plan.

        4. While Diana’s Panorama interview was a mistake, she was a person who knew Charles more closely than the rest of us.

          “There was always conflict on that subject with him when we discussed it, and I understood that conflict, because it’s a very demanding role, being Prince of Wales, but it’s an equally more demanding role being King. And being Prince of Wales produces more freedom now, and being King would be a little bit more suffocating. And because I know the character I would think that the top job, as I call it, would bring enormous limitations to him, and I don’t know whether he could adapt to that.”

          She followed this part up with bashing Charles and the idea that he should be skipped in favour of William. But still, I think she was speaking truth when she said the part about the top job stifling him.

          I don’t think Charles is longing for his mother’s job. He has far more freedom to be impactful, hands-on impactful, in his current role.

          1. Charles has talked about it before, insofar as he knows he has the freedom to pursue things now, and be open about them and create a role for himself in which he can help people and use that–and when he is King he knows he will have to drop most of his charitable work. Which is why he’s so sad, I’m sure, that his sons have no interest in furthering the legacy of The Prince’s Charities.

          2. +100

            POW is happy to be there ready and most capable to lead but hardly eager to have her- HM job, which would mean he no longer has his mother!

            Never fear- wonderful royal news with our beloved Prince Harry and his Sparkle. Meghan is attending a polo event with up finds ginger,  and is dressed very regal and dignified – re Ascot! Hoping this is the beginning of his duties stepping up, will need to settle that little detail of his wedding.

            And once again, lazy entitled chutney middelton couldn’t be bothered…

    2. You have made some good points GraceH.

      The main one being that William has to step it up. And Kate won’t be able to help, she has completed her biggest challenge which was to marry a Prince. William is going to have to find it within himself to get going, I hope he can?

    3. For goodness’s sake, our monarchy is until death!!!

      Sorry for the bad tempered response to this, but that is how our monarchy works.

      It’s unfortunate that Lizzie is living so long, but every single monarch is called only after the last one dies.

      Good or bad health. Even where a regency was called, the circumstances were extremely dire ie the monarch in question, George 3 medically insane, and it was only a temporary measure.

      The monarchies that have abdicated are the exception NOT the rule. Every single monarchy is until death or usurpation.

      The monarch isn’t staying onnthe throne because of religious vows or oaths or whatever except for the one they took to be monarch until death.

      That is just how it works.

      From Britain to Japan and every other nation on this planet that has a monarchy.

      HM is not being selfish or self-absorbed or unreasonable or holding onto power or doing whatever else is imagined she does. She’s following the path of monarchy which states that one is the monarch until death whether their life is short or long.

      She happens to be a long lived monarch which means her heirs have to wait longer. Just like Victoria and George 3.

      Prinny and Bertie waited 60 odd years for their turn, and Charles has to wait his turn.

      And if he dies before he gets the top job, so be it.

      Them are the rules!!!!!

      1. The Queen is still doing a significant amount of work so I don’t know why we are slagging on her vow to work till death. She isn’t mentally or physically incapacitated like George III or shunning the public like Victoria. She has been steady, with just a slightly reduced amount of appearances. The red boxes are still being read. This is not on her. It’s not even on Charles because he stepped up for the sake of helping his parents. This is all on Will who has been a baby and has had to be forced at 35 to start acting like an adult.

        1. Exactly @ Nic919.

          The only monarchy with a history of voluntary abdication seems to be The Netherlands.

          Belguim abdicated for health reasons, and that was an exception too.

          Spain’s abdication was really, REALLY unusual and done to save the monarchy after JC and his daughter brought it into disrepute.

          1. Also the Pope felt able to step down, and the Emperor of Japan is making plans to do the same. This whole argument just makes the idea of monarchy look silly to this outsider. The Queen may believe that she is appointed by God, but monarchy is a man-made form of government, and men can change the traditions.

          2. Health reasons was a good excuse. There was also the years-long, ongoing scandal of someone demanding DNA tests to prove they are the illegitimate child of the former king, Albert II. As long as he was king, he was immune from the lawsuits. Her mother was acknowledged to be in a 16-year relationship with Albert II; the lawsuit isn’t coming out of thin air.

            DNA tests this February proved that her mother’s husband, Boel, was not her biological father. Now she is pursuing DNA tests re. Albert II. It is tricky, given how the Belgian courts have defined paternity, and they seem to be throwing barriers in her path deliberately.

            http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/News/1.2936375

            Does anyone have updates on the Japanese Emperor’s request for retirement?

          3. Fifi: once again, exceptions rather than the norm.

            Yes, Monarchy is a man-made concept and an anarchronism in this age, but as long as it exists, the rules remain the same.

            And when an exception is made, it’s always extraordinary.

            Each of the people who abdicated, with exception of The Netherlands, had extraordinary circumstances that forced their abdication including the Pope. And it wasn’t a well planned abdication which says everything anyone needs to know about how extraordinary an event.

            Until the various parliaments/constitutions make provisions for abdications as the norm, as they did in The Netherlands, it remains an extraordinary event and the incumbent holds office until death or usurpation.

      2. I admire the Queen for her strength and strong believe in God.It’s not something someone should make fun of.It’s old as humanity to believe in something.
        People today always want something new and that fast. They bore themselves in a short amount of time.
        The Queen shall reign until her death, she is one of the last keeper of traditions that we need as people.

  3. Is it awful I still do not expect W&K&H to step up even though they are essentially required to? Granted, I can see Harry doing more so than W&K who I think will yank out every excuse in the book as not to work more than they already are–which is very little, as we know.

    I hope they do. They really have to.

    Though I think the media will continue to protect W&K, call them out a bit, and then retreat and treat them with kid gloves. Ad nauseum.

    1. Because history condemns them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an announcement in autumn on how W&K need a bit of time off to settle their family in KP and get George settled in school. Then of course, they might need time to learn more about the DoE’s patronages so they can best choose which ones they will each take (Kate took almost a year to decide on her first 4), and then they will need behind the scenes “get to know you” type meetings. I hope, really hope they don’t do this but I wouldn’t be surprised.

      1. Oh, EL, I agree with you. Yes, they can play the getting settled card. Yes, it will all be about the kids and how hard it is to acclimate to full-time life at KP.

        I am sure there will be many trips back to the country home. Many times that other Royals will be stepping up to the plate to do work that Prince Phillip would have done.

        For the life of me, I just cannot wrap my head around the fact that Kate may be asked to do more work. Unless she becomes more serious about learning to speak more effectively, unless she starts to gain more self-confidence, I just see her curling up in a corner even when at functions, and having that look of “poor me, I can’t cope” on her face and in her entire body language.

        As for William? He will continue to show resentment and anger on his face and most events. Those emotions, and a smug arrogance, too.

        I just cannot believe that their laziness and lack of being prepared will ever change . Nobody will call them out Things won’t change that much.

        Just give us the money and leave us alone seems to be their motto. It’s hard to imagine things ever changing. For me, anyway.

        1. Kate’s demeanour bothers me so much. Not that she probably has low self-confidence or some social anxiety but that she is in a position where she can get help, one on one help for it but doesn’t. It’s either denial or a matter of not wanting to. If it’s the first, then Heads Together hasn’t done anything for her and the others really need to think about how what they have talked about so far needs expanding on to support people who aren’t ready to accept there is something wrong and they need help.

          1. It would probably be a huge deal for her to get help because whoever was helping her would certainly remove some of her mother’s and husband’s influence over her behavior. I think she should search of experts who can help coach or counsel her as necessary, maybe drawing on support from Prince Charles or Duchess Camilla. Both would certainly help and would probably welcome the chance to have a bit more involvement in and influence over willnot’s family.

  4. I know it most likely won’t happen. I think having Beatrice or Eugenie occasionally as a plus one to HM would be lovely, even if its on a unofficial level. Like I can picture Beatrice as a plus one with HM during royal maundy services, since she already accompanied them once to one before.

    1. I think it would makes sense for Beatrice at least, as she’ll likely be a Counsellor of State during her lifetime. Why not make her a working royal until she’s 45-50?

      1. Yes, I think Bea would be wonderful helping out with the DoE’s workload as it’s passed around. You can’t have Anne and, ick, Andrew doing everything, and God knows Charles has so much going on and he’s picking up more because that is how he is. Bea is warm, kind, and always well-informed from every event I’ve read about her attending. People enjoy her and she enjoys people. I think she’d do a great job and gets way too much crap due to her parents.

        1. I think Bea would be an excellent choice too. Very kind and warm hearted. And Sophie. I think Sophie researches her charities, turns up and interacts well. I don’t understand why Bea, Eugenie, Harry etc get so much crap and William gets off with a rap on the knuckles. The Queen telling her grandson off last year at the Trooping of the Colour ought to be repeated more often. I don’t understand William’s shift in attitude.

    2. Yes, Charles may have to enlarge the royal family for the sake of the monarchy sure to his son’s lazy ways and shirking of duty and country. Bea would be an excellent choice. I hope they give her a role.

      1. Charles must be having second thoughts given his son’s puerile acting out and congenital sloth. Who thinks a streamlined monarchy would be successful given the indifferent material he has to work with? I imagine he is so disappointed.

        1. I am treading on very thin ice here and I know it. Chuck gives his little boy and his airhead wife whatever they want. To me that makes him an enabler just like his mother. The ‘firm’ is archaic and makes no sense in this day and age, however please note that I am an American so I just go by what I see and hear.

  5. Gawd help us if we have to see any more of that face. Expect baby #3 to be announced shortly, (after the Wedding of the Year obv). Kate seems to be good at getting pregnant if nothing else.

    My hopes now lie with Harry and Princess Sparkle. I just can’t even look at William anymore, such an unattractive man both inside and out. IMHO.

    1. Yes. She would never tolerate being pregnant/chubby for Pippa’s wedding. She’ll get pregnant afterwards, to avoid work. Three babies! So much Spanish to be taught. Of course being a parent means one cannot work!

  6. “the Duke’s decision to leave the air ambulance was motivated by his desire to support the Queen”

    Yeah. Sure. We knew he’d find a good excuse/lie. He’s been bored and barely there for a very long time. With such family mendacity and support, the guy’s got it made as a slacker.

    1. Mendacity indeed; all in service to keeping the myth alive and privilege in place, thank you very much. Imagine the collective sigh of relief from ‘workmates’ when W officially departs EAAA. People should stop feeding his fantasies.

    2. Took him ages to even get his civilian license, which is automatically a red flag; EAA employees said he was never there… Yup, bored, and wants to go find something else to do.

      1. I can’t recall – did William ever serve in the armed forces at all? He seems so stunted and I think his coddling by the Middleton Family (Kate is just a cog in that family wheel) has been bad for his growth and development. He needed to have taken a year and served somewhere (harsh!) , to understand his wealth, privileges and responsibilities of the position he’s been honoured with. I don’t understand the eternal adolescent sulking at his age.

        1. He was given a taster of the army and Navy.

          I don’t think he was a good fit with them OR rather the RAF was really happy to welcome his stint with them because it helped with their recruitment/funding.

          I remember this interview given by Navy top brass about the difficulty of having a Prince in the service when asked about William re-joining them after SAR was shut down.

          There was a year-long speculation about his post SAR plans which were centred on his going to various other services or regiments.

          When that Navy interview came out, i remember thinking that was a very firm NO from the Navy, and a hint about tgeir true opinion of him.

          They bever gave such interviews about Charles, Andrew OR Harry. Infact when the other 3 retired from their respective services, the military wished them well publicly and gave good PR quotes about their time in service.

          No such quotes or commentary about William. It was radio silence. I’m not sure that SAR gave any comments about him either, but i’m happy to be corrected on that point.

          Pictures of William in the Navy
          http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/06/03/article-1023906-01788EE200000578-800_306x423.jpg

          http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/bg/Prince+William+in+Faslane+IdcP9emnTbWl.jpg

          http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/29/article-1324832-0BCFADC1000005DC-68_468x657.jpg

          http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1324832/Prince-William-reveals-thinning-hairline-salutes-sailors-HM-Naval-Base.html

          He was in the navy for such a short period that i’m not sure it registered with the public.

          William in the army pics
          http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/event/prince-william-travels-to-afghanistan-to-commemorate-rememberance-sunday-106793725?esource=SEO_GIS_CDN_Redirect#prince-william-talks-to-a-member-of-the-afghan-army-before-a-day-at-picture-id106822504

          Ps William was in the Household Calvary regiment. Same as Harry.

        2. Lisa- William went to Sandhurst after graduating from Saint Andrews but he was not allowed to serve in Afghanistan like Harry because he is too close to the throne.

          1. And, thank goodness for that as far as William is concerned. The discipline required of military personnel would not have been possible for Wills.

      1. Indiana my sentiments exactly! They’ll probably throw a party once he’s gone. now they can hire someone who works holidays and shows up more than once in a blue moon with photographer in tow to prove he does actually work

          1. And I’ll second or third or fourth that Amen. I know that from way across the pond there should be little if any interest in his ‘job’ but I happen to think that the skies are going to be much more useful and the crew much more focused (not saying they weren’t) w/o the prince of putz around. He may have served a purpose, I don’t know. What I do know is that the medical personnel and victims who need them deserve better than a bored dude looking for something to do or to play with his big toys, one of which granny put in the toy box. That whole thing was way beyond ridiculous to me anyway, needs an rpo to protect him while he rescues people, and donating a salary that a legit/applied for the job, earned it, was really a team player– trained man or woman really needed to pay the taxes that fund his toys and playgrounds.

    3. It reads like Jason’s spin, as KP is Jason not the Queen’s or Charles’s press office. His contract was always scheduled to end in June 2017. We were told that back in August 2014.

      If a decision was made before Christmas that Philip was going to retire, that would have meant the BRF putting pressure on William not to re-up with EAAA. As someone wrote in the other thread, his petulance around Christmas, the Real Royal Family Boxing Day Shoot (complete with discount)? That reads as his petulant response to being told he was moving to London in Fall 2017. The announcement about moving was made end of January.

      1. Funny how wee Willie’s petulant behavior and attempts to one up the BRF always make him look like a fool. That entire Christmas and Boxing Day Shoot with the Midds played out as haphazard and idiotic.

  7. This new article from Rebecca English is very revealing about the rivalries between the 3 palaces and how the Queen’s Chamberlain essentially asked them all to cooperate going forward.

    It also reveals thst WK have taken on 2 more staffers who used to work for Philip. To add to their 2nd full time housekeeper recently hired. No staff my behind!!!

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4478788/Right-hand-man-tells-royals-rivalries-aside.html

    I’ll also post this new article from Amanda Plantell telling William to buck up.
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-4479060/Wills-needs-lesson-duty-grandad.html?login#readerCommentsCommand-message-field

    And finally, this comment op-ed written yesterday from a random young journalist at the evening standard who onfe shared a speaking engagement with Philip -scroll to the middle of the page to read the relevant parts from the commentary page.
    http://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/rohan-silva-theresa-may-should-think-of-the-surinders-of-this-world-when-she-wants-our-votes-a3531416.html

    Btw, i know many people think the only thing the Queen does is to cut ribbons, so i am posting a reminder about her daily schedule….
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/7870095/The-Queens-working-day.html

    1. The was a line from a pr team in one of the links you posted. It said that the Queen told William and Catherine that it wasn’t practical to lead their lives with none to a small staff, and that’s why they were hiring more people. I about lol’d at that. I’m pretty sure I could do what Kate does without any help.

      1. They’ve NEVER had a small staff, but their PR keeps pushing this idea they have. Kate does all the cooking, cleaning and dry cleaning, duh.

    2. ‘They want to ensure that everything is scheduled sensibly, particularly when it comes to public engagements.’

      In other, more direct words, no more William skipping key public events to go on a booze-fueled holiday with his mates. That dad-dancing video has provided team Windsor with a hefty piece of ammunition to keep twinkle toes in his place.

      1. LOL at twinkle toes. Wonder how the ‘missus’ viewed that little jolly, and I think his title was doing the dancing. Billy is not even a little charming, imo so w/o that title would women really cozy up to him like that? A married man, with two children, and rudeness personified. I highly doubt it myself.

    3. I posted the plantell story becuase not only does she say everything that we’ve been saying about him-insular, Petulant lazy she also calls out how tacky it was to compare Kate’s sunbathing topless pics to his mother’s death.
      It’s nice to see some truth in the media in regards to him

      1. She doesn’t seem to mince words with W&K and their crap often. I like her. I recall her being threatened by people and W&K fans.

      2. Say What?? He compared his wife’s bare all to his mother’s death? I have my own opinion on what caused Diana’s death and it’s not relevant at all here, but seriously to bring his deceased mother into this ghastly situation is creepy at best, and reprehensible at worst. He’s one very loosely wrapped and disturbed man, and only his title and wealth keep him from being reigned in. Just the opinion of a discouraged American.

    4. Regarding the queen’s daily schedule- it’s a rather passive offering with everything pretty well being done for her and handed to her, she reads a bit and then shows up and schmoozes.

      1. Not reads a bit. Those boxes take 3-4 hours a day to go through. It’s a lot of crap.

        Not like William would ever read it. He’d sign off on it and go watch the rugby on TV or whatever.

  8. The Rebecca English comment that Willie and Katie agreed to move back to London made me chuckle. I believe it was more of an order and this lead to the temper tantrum of the alternate Christmas court held at Middleton manor

    1. I agree, vicki. And that was very petty of W and K because it could possibly be Philip’s last Christmas. It was especially confusing to me when Will refused to go to Philip’s Boxing Day shoot. Now we know why.

    2. This also explains Willy’s skipping Commonwealth Day while boozing, dad dancing and blatantly chatting up chicks in Verbier. In his puerile way, he really was giving the BRF the middle finger as some of us suspected. Proof: he didn’t complain about the pics. I doubt that this will stop.

  9. I wanna believe they’re gonna step up but still not convinced it’s gonna happen. How many times have we gotten articles telling us they’re gonna step up. At least once a year if not more. The official statement said they would spend more time in London nothing about being there full time. Recent articles have said Anmer will still be their main home.

  10. I’m also finding it difficult to believe that W and K will step up their work schedules. Oh, William, maybe, but Kate? Of course, settling the kids into life at Kensington Palace will require her complete attention.

    William may work, but his resentment won’t be hidden from view. Anger, anger, anger, seems to be eating him alive. Thus, I think the rapid aging of the man.

    Thank you, KMR, for always staying on top of things. I hope you get some rest this weekend. Also, hope the weather is nicer where you are than here in NY. Flash floods yesterday. I picked my kids up from school and it was really scary driving home. Pulled over and played music games with them in the car before it was safe to get back on the road.

  11. That photo of Harry holding that boy just brought tears to my eyes. He will be a wonderful father someday (hopefully sooner rather than later).

      1. Edward has a kindness and softness in his face. He’s happy, fulfilled, loves his family.

        William’s belies his nastiness on the inside. The anger and hatred on his face just shows.

      2. Wills is an unhappy person who acts as though he is doomed. He has all the bad and none of the good traits of Diana–he is vindictive and clings to a feeling that he has been terribly wronged. Those qualities will quickly age anyone.

    1. “Nature shapes the face you have at twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty. But at fifty, you get the face that you deserve”. – Coco Chanel

    1. The DM have just updated the article as Princess Sparkle is there watching Harry. Have to say she looks beautifully turned out for an afternoon at the polo. It’s only a matter of time now.

      1. I don’t know, Chelsy went to the polo with him heaps of times and nothing.

        I have a feeling they won’t get married. But I want Harry to be happy, so if she makes him happy, good, even though I think she went after him deliberately quite like Kate did with William.

        1. Hhmm, I think I’d need to see more evidence of how Meghan “went after Harry, because every article I have read has stated that Harry pursued her like crazy, even when she said she was going through a break up and did not think she was in a position to start a new relationship, he thought otherwise. I think Harry did the chasing, not the other way round. I don’t know about Kate so can’t comment on that relationship.

          1. What I’ve read is she was in a relationship with someone else and invited herself along, pretty much due to her connections, to a dinner party when Harry was in Toronto. He was interested, and she started the chase, so to speak. It reminds me very much of Kate zooming in on William in her teens and not letting go.

            Harry was obviously into her, too! I hope they are happy together and they seem to be and are with one another for the right reasons. Meghan would be giving up a lot. She at least has her own life, unlike Kate.

          2. I think it is unlikely they met in Toronto in May, because from what I can tell, he was there for less than a day. Fly in, photo op with PM, another photo op, fly home.

            What is publicly-available is that she and the chef went on a final vacation end of May and broke up. Maybe it was a make it or break it vacation. She was in London in July, which is when she likely met Harry through mutual friends connected to Soho House.

      2. I like her outfit here. Generally she tends to have a better sense of style than Kate, who the media has dubbed a fashion icon.

        As for what will happen with them, well it does seem as though she is in the U.K. a lot and going to the Pippa wedding is certainly a sign that the relationship is moving forward. I won’t be surprised if we hear something in June, which is roughly a year from when they started dating according to the press. Harry is 32 and she is 35 so they are old enough to both know what they want. Getting engaged after a year of dating is not unusual for people who are that age.

          1. I bet Meghan is savvy enough to know that every Brit is expecting her to do that being a ‘brash American’ and as a result will be very subdued in her dress if only to show she knows how to behave. This girl is way to socially ambitious and savvy to make an elementary mistake like that. She’s so close she’s not going to screw it up now. Got to admire the tenacity…..she’s auditioning for the biggest role in her life. She’ll show these grasping Midddletons how to behave with a bit of decorum.

          2. Though I don’t comment too much about MM, I do find myself agreeing with all your MM related comments, Mrs BBV. However, don’t you think the press will whip this story into overdrive leaving Pips looking dull by comparison? I saw a DM article about Pips today with only 165 comments, all pleading for a stop to the minute-by-minute wedding coverage because she is a boring person. By comparison, MM’s DM article today had more than 1,000 comments.

          3. Oh the press inevitability want a good competitive edge to the story…..it fits their sloppy journalistic mould and Mrs M’s paying a PR firm to make it a society talking piece, which of course it’s not, is all part an parcel of the exposure they’ve generated / paid for. Heading for a fall that family if they keep this up.

            Apart from seeing George and Charlotte I couldn’t give a hoot about Pips and Mrs M’s event.

            Meghan……I’m intrigued by her and not in a particularly positive way. She’s definitley a player but I think she’s too smart to fall into the narrative of ‘scene stealing’. I’m not entirely sure when she’ll get the opportunity to do it either? As I understand it the press will be penned in to see coming and goings from the church and that’s about it. Xxx

          4. Mrs bbv, I read an article that the CoE came out and said all weddings are public that made me laugh. I’m sure they’ll cite security reasons why this wedding I shouldn’t be public

          5. I thought that “all weddings are public affairs” thing was BS. No, random people shouldn’t be allowed to randomly show up at a wedding.

          6. The wedding part doesn’t bother me becuase it’s the reception that’s costing money per person. programs cost but they’re usually bought in high quantities that if random peeps have one it’s usually no biggie. And honestly I’ve been in/to enough weddings and no one is paying attention to who’s in the pews.

          7. Technically if you are a parishioner of the church you can attend but only if there is room in the church after the invited guests have arrived. Apparently there have been a surge in applications to be parishioners at this church. Therefore leaving nothing to chance you can be sure there won’t be even one spare seat to accommodate a parishioner unknown to the wedding party.

          8. To me, the most important part of a wedding is the actual wedding ceremony. I would be way more specific about who I invite to the wedding ceremony than who I invite to the reception. Because the wedding ceremony is very personal between the couple – at least that’s how I see it. So I would be incredibly pissed if random people showed up to my wedding ceremony.

          9. I suspect the church will be packed with invited guests, but in theory anyone who is a parishioner would have a right to attend because they contribute to the church and parish and a religious wedding is supposed to be before God and the congregation, not just who you choose.

            If the Middletons actually attended church often then they would know the parishioners or at least most of them and so they wouldn’t be random strangers to them. I used to be a church organist and I played weddings at various churches and while there wouldn’t always be regular parishioners at weddings, there would be a few, especially those who helped provide volunteer services like ushers, altar servers etc. A church isn’t a hotel. It is comprised of members of the community and not paid employees and so in theory getting married in your church is a celebration with the community as well.

          10. Weddings are a public thing in the church. That’s why they do a banns of marriage and all that. If you’re a parishioner, you’re invited to come and witness the marriage ceremony, to pray for the couple, all that. I wouldn’t have been phased if people from my parish showed up at my wedding though I didn’t invite them. I would have thought it very kind of them to want to support me and pray for us and our marriage. After all, the ceremony is far more important than the party after.

            For Pippa though it’s all about people wanting to show up for this thing because of the connections, I’d imagine.

          11. This little titbit was in the DM, presumably to discourage locals to attend: “The couple have invited so many people to the church that more than 30 people are now going to be seated in the vestry where a sound system and screen is going to be set up for them to see the happy couple exchange vows.”

          12. BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            Considering the week I’ve been having, I needed the laugh! I started WW Online (after seeing a joking picture my dad took of his dog and me that made me scream, he wasn’t body shaming. He thought it was cute that the dog and I were sleeping together) + stomach virus that made me violently ill during the middle of the week (and has left me with little appetite) + menstrual cycle on top of everything + very little energy due to the above = a Kimothy who has been feeling lousy.

            I became ill Tuesday evening, 5-10 minutes after eating dinner, and the nausea finally started to go away around 2 AM Wednesday morning but I stayed home. I ended up sleeping for almost 5 hours straight that day (9 AM-2 PM). I forced myself to go to work on Thursday and Friday but was still feeling crummy (plus, monthly bill kicked in on Thursday which only made things worse). I’ve mainly rested, eaten light all week and chilled out with my dog, Missy. The fog is ever-so-slowly lifting away and I’m starting to feel of the virus and more of the cycle so that’s kind of a good thing.

            Anyway, thank you for the laugh, Jen. I so needed it! Hugs!! 🙂

          13. Oh Kimothy, I’d like to think it’s a joke but with the Middleton ego, I reckon they’d think a mini-series would be the least they deserve. ‘Middleton’s: the movie’ is more their groove. To be fair, a clever weaving of Bolelyn’s/Middleton’s and the influence such infiltrators yield on monarchy would be fascinating to watch.

            Sorry to hear you’ve been under the weather; cuddling a fur child is a guaranteed fix of pretty much everything.

      3. The color looks good but what’s with the dress being short in the front but long in the back? Someone couldn’t make up their mind? Personally, I’m not a fan of that look in general.

        1. Not dissing her, just not too big on that design in general (I’ve seen other women wear it and I’m not too keen on it). Keep it long, short or just around the knee but not this half long/half short business. Blech!

        2. I hate those hi-lo style dresses. They were all the rage a couple yrs ago. I thought they went back out of style.. show ya what I know

          1. I initially thought the dress very retro-50’s Hepburn-Kelly and stunning on MM; a style that suits her incredibly well. Then I saw the uneven hem length and felt disappointed. Not that she didn’t look absolutely lovely, she did. The polka dot clutch provided a nice little splash of pattern among blocks of colour; really nicely balanced IMO. Nicely pitched outfit for (a) the occasion, and (b) first formal outing as a partner of a prince.

          1. They were! They’re back? What? WHY! They’re so stupid and just ruin a dress. I’ve also seen the reverse, a high back and low front, which is just stupid. I’m still happy about the final, final death of the dreaded pinafore/smock/pregnancy top which was all the rage a few years ago. Please don’t come back.

          2. High back and low front is even more stupid than high front and low back.

        1. Ooh you’re a brave woman or a glutton for punishment for doing that.
          Meghan fan’s/detractors are just as fanatical as Kate’s!!
          Now you can get it on all fronts ??

          1. Yeah, both sides of the Meghan fandom can be pretty ridiculous. But that’s why I wanted my own space so I could talk about Meghan, because I haven’t found a good forum for that elsewhere.

        2. I’ve been and posted to help kick you off! If you do as well as you’ve done here it will be great. I particularly like the format you’ve used on there. It seems easier to read. Xx

    2. Meghan looks very nice and glamourous. The pretentious clutch however, makes me stabby. I guess she’s spending the month with Harry?

      1. Why is the clutch pretentious? I carry one wherever I go. It’s tiny so pretentious,no. Her dress is stunning, it’s draped, it doesn’t show because the bottom half of the picture is cut off, u have to go to the designers website. I’m convinced if this woman walked on water there r people who would say it wasn’t wet enough. No she has a job,she has to get back to

        1. “I’m convinced if this woman walked on water there r people who would say it wasn’t wet enough”

          I think that’s true for many royal women. It is certainly true for Kate, Sofia, and Camilla.

        2. I think Indiana Joanna used an apter descriptor- “precious”. Meghan doesn’t seem the clutch type, and for this horsey event where you might be clomping down the earth a bag with a strap/handle seems more pragmatic. But hey, that’s my opinion. Several people look overdressed to me. For some people Meghan may as well walk on water, just like Waity, I’m learning. Funnily, I said she looked nice and glamourous but that wasn’t enough because I didn’t say she looked perfect.

          KMR, this was an opinion based on my taste. Subtle shade is being thrown at people who say something negative and I don’t even know enough about Meghan to like or dislike her. Looks like your new Meghan site might end in a bloodbath if this is the way it starts..

        3. There are are also people who would exclaim she walked on water when she was in fact standing in a small puddle.
          Any hint of criticism is automatically reduced to it either being about her race or the juvenile comment about someone pining for the loss of their “internet boyfriend”
          When it’s in fact due to me having a fully functioning brain and critical reasoning skills

        4. Agree with Maven and Sarah. When I read this comment I felt confused by the purpose of the blog. Regular commenters on this site have nuanced opinions and I think they are very astute because they have been following the BRF for a significant time.

          I get confused when a new commenter comes from out of the blue to attack a long time member of the KMR community with a broad brush dismissal for a perfectly reasoned opinion. A little discouraging.

    3. Ohhh, Hannah Bagshawe looks *fantastic*! Such a great look and she wears it well, uncontrived and naturally lovely

        1. She looks awesome.. but all I can think is how her and Eddy were turned away from Rihanna’s party from The Met gala..; cause I am petty

      1. I love the wide leg trouser look! I saw a pic of Maxima in some that even her personality couldn’t carry off tho. It was head to to brown tho so maybe that made a difference

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