69 thoughts on “Royal Round Up: Charlene in silver jumpsuit, Harry plays with kids”

1. That jumpsuit…WOW. No one else in the world could pull that off like she does! I love how striking and statuesque Charlene is, and that she is so bold with her fashion. I may not always love it, but I love the risk she takes. She looks fantastic.

   1. +1 Jenni

   2. +1 Agreed Jenni!

   3. + so many! When she hits it’s straight out of the ballpark.

2. Harry seems comfortable meeting with groups of people whether adults, teens or children. Kids seem to gravitate towards him. I can’t recall any other male RF members who had/has an affinity with kids the way that he does.

   I think that Charlene hasn’t yet met a designer that knows how to dress her swimmer’s shoulders. At times she reminds me of the Borg Queen being reassembled to walk about her Cube, all shoulders until the body is fitted to it. Does any designer know how to dress athletic women? Wasn’t expecting to see Kelsey Grammar with Al & Char.

   So…I guess you too were bored with the latest Cambridge tour because you haven’t written a blog entry about Day 5. I share your boredom. Don’t bother writing it. The world has moved on. 🙂

   1. I thought Kate’ colour choice of that day was interesting.I like the colour of the purple dress which matched Charlotte’s dress.George was adorable at the helicopters, he felt more secure there.

   2. I actually thought that jumpsuit was PERFECT for her shoulders. I thought she looked spectacular from the back!

      1. I haven’t seen any indication that Charlene is uncomfortable with her shoulders – in fact, I think she really is proud of them and doesn’t take any steps to hide them or minimize them through her outfits.

         I’m with you – I think the silver jumpsuit is spectacular and makes her shoulders look even more awesome than usual 🙂

      2. Charlene is the opposite of Kate in that she can dress for her body much better. They both have square shoulders but Charlene doesn’t add silly peplums and other frilly nonsense to pretend she has a different body. That confidence shows up in other areas too, because I think her short hair looks great on her and she doesn’t hide behind a mop of hair like Kate does. They are both roughly the same age and yet Kate seems like a regressed Victorian throwback.

         1. +1 to everyone’s commemts.

         2. Yes, Kate and Pippa always seem to try acting in a certain way that is not their real character.It must be hard to not be able to show a little bit of your true self.Charlene is not afraid to do so and is she less royal or elegant because of it? No, it makes her more likeable.

         3. +200000

      3. I think she looked good, but from the back we could see how badly fitted this outfit was. It is 1-2 inches too small, so we see the sides of her back being pressed together to accommodate the corset. If fitted correctly this would have been a good look all around.

         https://images.hellogiggles.com/uploads/2017/07/29042625/princess-charlene1.jpg

      4. I liked the jumpsuit but the back shows that it needed some better tailoring. Look how it makes a crack in the middle-that shouldn’t happen

      5. +1

   3. Hah, Borg Queen. I might think of that every time I see Charlene now.

      Yes, Charlene does have broad shoulders, which are emphasized by her narrow waist. But as LizB said below, she seems confident in her body, so she pulls off these daring fashions. Imagine Kate wearing something that emphasized her long torso.

      1. Broad shoulders actually help her be a fashion plate, as the clothes hang correctly from a good base. I speak from experience as a narrow-shouldered person who often has to alter the fit of a top.

         1. I’m so glad I’m not the only one. Thankfully I have moderate sewing skills so I can often do it myself. But I would never attempt it with couture (wink wink)

   4. Nevermind.

3. “I think that Charlene hasn’t yet met a designer that knows how to dress her swimmer’s shoulders.”

   Agreed.

   Whether I like her fashion choices or not, Charlene is usually very glamourous.

4. I think Charlene looks stunning and I love that she doesn’t try to hide her shoulders. And short hair..yay at last . Sensible lady if she still swims hours every day.

5. I don’t think there’s any reason for Charlene to hide her shoulders! She looks fabolous and comfortable so why pick something else. And she also worked hard for those shoulders, to swim fast obviously, so that’s nothing she has to hide.. it’s part of her. (Though I agree some outfits look better on certain body types.. but as long as one feels comfortable and good).

   Harry always looks comfortable around children, so natural. And I do enjoy following his engagements – I just don’t get why he doesn’t do it more often or puts his work focus on children. Sports, science, art, there’s tons of charities he could support and work with. He could even combine his love for the military or Afrika with it. Also nothing stops him from finding a way to bring the thought of Invictus Games to local/regional groups/clubs. He could really make a difference for children, veterans or whoever he would decide to work with. He could do smt every day… we always complain about WK but looking closer, it’s not like Harry is much better.

6. Charlene slays the fashion game. Her pieces are cut impeccably. I think she wears clothes that accentuate her assets. Her shoulders are strong and beautiful and, imho, her satorial choices reflect that. I’m not a fan of short hair for me. It works for her and it looks great.

   I love to see Harry with kids. He’s a total charmer with them. However, I am starting to want more for him. Harry has so much potential. But in light of current events, he’s starting to come across as prickly as William.

   Thanks for the round-up, KMR!

7. Thanks for another Royal Round Up KMR, I do so enjoy them!!

   I love this pantsuit on Charlene, she looks simply stunning. I will admit that at times I find her fashion a bit too severe, too chic (if fashion can be too chic) and while I love red lipstick on her, I have to admit that this lighter color gives her face a much softer look. I really like her short hair, it frames her lovely face and is practical for all of her swimming. Plus, I think that she has rather thin hair so a shorter cut will help add volume.

8. A separate post may be coming on this but just in case.

   Turmoil at Palace as Queen’s right hand man quits and William and Harry’s top aides consider standing down in dramatic shake up of Royal staff

   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4743082/Queen-s-aide-quits-dramatic-shake-Royal-staff.html

   1. Of course the one person who needs to eave, Jason knauf, is supposedly sticking around

   2. I hope it means that Will and Kate have to step it up but I doubt that will happen.

   3. I recall reading something about how he planned to retire so it’s not too surprising to me, maybe the DM making a fuss out of nothing? People only stay in that post a few years at best and hasn’t he been in it since 2007?

      1. I don’t remember stories of him planning to retire. We did get a story about him in May, about how he was now charged with reinventing the BRF after Prince Philip’s retirement.

         http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4480626/On-Majesty-s-secret-service.html

   4. Since 2014 Charles has been attempting to move all communication to one office for Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace. It makes sense not only fiscally but also to have one message being given. The two people against this have always been William and Harry. Not sure about Charles’s siblings views though. Since Elizabeth and Charles control the purse strings in many ways they can start shutting down Kensington Palace. If that is occurring than it makes sense that to side step this William and Harry will hire someone within their charity to use for everything. Hence, the new job posting. Not sure what will happen to their own communication officer they currently have.

      In both William and Harry’s arrogance they do not see that they create a lot of their problems. A great example is the documentary they put out about their mother. If they had let things be then we would not have other documentaries being aired again such as “Diana in Her Own Words”. All of this is on YouTube and was released after her death. We also would not have to suffer through all the news articles rehashing everything.

      I am afraid that Charles has left it so long and has been just as permissive in their upbringing as Diana that they are now uncontrollable. Elizabeth has been in many ways just as bad as Charles in allowing them to run riot and not have any true responsibility. I know this sounds odd but at least the York sisters would be willing to undertake royal duties more so than William and Harry. I just dread their father Andrew and his dodgy dealing ways; well more so than the other royals. I do think Prince Michael of Kent is giving Andrew a run for his money though in dodgy dealing/connections as he has some really suspect links to Russia.

      That is my take on what is going on within the Royal Family. I wonder how William and Harry would act if Charles cut them off financially? At least Kate would have to seriously cut down on her clothing bill and I do not see how they could afford all the staff they currently have. Would the learn the value of money then?

      1. My observation is that the power struggle has been between Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, i.e., the Queen’s staff and the Prince of Wales staff.

         Everything was handled out of Buckingham Palace until the 1990s when Charles broke off from Buckingham Palace and formed his own operation.

         Charles may have been behind the 2014 merger of the press offices (I’m taking your word for that) but that merger lasted less than a year and it was Charles who picked up his marbles and returned to Clarence House, the Cambridges and Prince Harry remained with Buckingham Palace but eventually they too went back to having their press office based out of Kensington Palace.

         They are probably trying to consolidate again because as time passes Charles is taking on more and more responsibilities of the monarch. If it sustains, IMO it will not be because Charles is so enlightened and a unifier, it is going to sustain because Charles has amassed enough power that things will be done the way he wants them done, thus him not having a reason to pick up his marbles and go back to Clarence House.

         1. I remember reading an article in respect of streamlining the communication office. I will take your word on the account before that as I just do not remember anything.

            You are right about the power moves. I always hated the idea that the royal family were called the firm. It makes it sound like a business and not a family. Maybe that is how family business are operated. I never worked for one so could not judge.

         2. I think it was between Charles vs. William, with Harry in the middle. For a period of time, the rogue KP staff was brought under Clarence House. Then W&K struck out alone (Jason) and Harry went with them. Now both BP and Clarence House are trying to bring the younger royals to heel.

            1. Charles funds the Cambridges and Prince Harry, both personally and their royal work – if it was only between Charles and one or both of his sons, there would be no need to involve Buckingham Palace.

            2. Charles’s chain is constantly yanked by his eldest son, whom he is incapable of dealing with. If he withdraws funding, he loses all access to his grandchildren. He needs to be in a united front with the monarch against the useless heir-to-the-heir.

               I have no doubt KP and CH having separate offices if because of William vs. Charles, not William vs. BP or Charles vs. BP. Buck & Clarence House are united in their frustration with Billy.

9. That one picture of her makes it look like a butt crack on her back. The color is pretty on her but the back crack is hideous and I’m over the short hair, it probably is more for convenience than style but it makes her more masculine imo.

   1. I have short hair I find it insulting to be told it is a masculine look. Why do women have to have long hair to be feminine?

      1. They don’t. Just like wearing a pant suit doesn’t make a woman less feminine. But sadly there are many people, including women, who are prejudiced in this regard.

      2. I agree! I love it when women can pull of the pixie haircut and wish I could!
         I alternate cut it short then grow it out until I can find the next short do I want!

   2. Dear Patricia, I have very short grey hair and I feel the glances and judgement of those who feel that short hair on a woman is masculine and I”m pretty sure that they’re trying to guess my sexuality as well. Sad really because my hair does not define my femininity (or my sexuality) and I feel for you and others who think a woman’s femininity is solely defined by the length of her hair! I am so much more than my hair!!! After saying all this, I must tell you that almost daily, a woman will come up to me (rather secretly and shyly) and tell me how brave I am that I have short hair and how much she wishes she could be that brave and cut her hair too. It’s so sad that society has bullied women into preventing them from being brave, from being who they want to be inside and out!!

      I am going to leave this conversation now as I am much too angry to continue.

      1. I had super short hair in high school and while I didn’t run into comments from other students, I did get some from older adults. Women should be able to wear whatever length of hair they want and if it looks good, as in Charlene’s case, then it should be celebrated. Most women who have long hair don’t do much with it anyway. And even those like Kate who have stylists, still have crap style. Long hair does not automatically equal feminine and it is some sister wife nonsense to play into that stereotype.

         Charlene looks confident, sophisticated and modern whereas Kate looks like someone from centuries ago, with the lack of self confidence to show for it.

         1. +1

      2. Queen Lauri I’m not ashamed to be a feminine woman, mother of three with short hair. I swim a lot and my hair grows thin and straggly so I keep a short choppy pixie look. My hairdresser loves me as I test her skill, not just a quick trim, my hair needs shape and texture.

   3. I have short hair as well and find this statement to be incredibly ignorant and insulting. Why does long hair = feminine but short hair = masculine? When I had long hair I always wore it in a ponytail because it falls out in handfuls due to my autoimmune disorder. Would you call a woman masculine for wearing her hair back? Because it’s basically the same thing, I just cut out the middleman and made life easier. My husband thinks my short hair is sexy. Charlene looks feminine and, most importantly, confident, which is certainly lacking in Kate and her hairy security blanket.

      1. Just look at Dame Helen Mirren tonight at Ypres, a gorgeous feminine woman with Short hair. I’m watching the live coverage and it’s very moving. Queen Mathilde looking appropriate as ever. Kate in her christening outfit standing out like a sore thumb. (Charlottes christening) .

         1. Helen mirren always looks stylish and lovely.
            I also love Judi dench’s short hair!

         2. Birdy…
            Kate’s wearing something to make sure the camera can find her. Just looking for the next photo op? Or is she wearing white because she thinks she’s off to meet the Pope next and she has been given Privilège du blanc?

   4. More masculine? The short hair? Oh, no. She carries that look off so well and is one glamorous and confident woman. I love her hair. Love her sense of style. There’s rarely been a clothing choice on her that I have not liked. Charlene wears her clothes. They don’t wear her. She is elegance and beauty personified.

      As for Harry, I love seeing him with kids. They way he was comforting the one little guy was wonderful. His face looks so much thinner to me. Is he losing weight all over? I hope he is well.

      1. Queen Lauri, as for you, mon belle! You will always rock. You are beautiful inside and out.

10. I usually love Charlene’s hair but ever since she cut recently it’s been off for me. I don’t know if it’s the cut, color or both?
    I loved the jumpsuit but I think it needed a better fit. It’s too tight and the back crack shows that.
    I’m not a fan of the green but do love the red outfit on her.
    Harry looks like he lost a lot of weight recently. I don’t know why they couldn’t make those shirts smaller for the kiddos, they look like they’re swimming in them. Harry is best when he’s with kids and military. Now if he would only do more of it.

    1. Oh, did not read your comment before I posted above. Sorry. I also agree, he’s lost weight. Don’t think he needed to do so. Therefore, I repeat that I hope he is well.

11. I didn’t write that Char looks uncomfortable with her shouIders nor anything about how Char looks in the dress – she looks fine. Just that designers seem to design for her in two parts: the shoulders and then the rest of her.

    What’s nice is that she can rest her hand on Al’s arm unlike another royal person I see in the news often. They look and act as a team.

12. Can we reset this conversation and forget hairstyles?

    I wish I could see a video of her silver ‘gown’ in motion. It’s probably the best feature of the outfit. I think I would style it with a necklace in addition to earrings — something sleek and shiny without gems.

13. Charlene looks really beautiful in these pictures.She seems much more happy than during the wedding years and it could be maybe because of her adorable children.If so, I’m happy for her:)

14. So Kate is wearing a white dress for the 100th anniversary of Passchendaele when the other women are wearing dark and somber colours. I bet she has no idea what happened at this battle. And since it’s in Belgium, since when is white a colour to wear to this kind of service? She is so ignorant on these issues and her staff must be as well.

    1. +1 as I commented above. Totally inept.

       1. Kate! Kate! When will she ever learn? Wearing the “christening” white dress to a WW1 commemorations? Hasn’t she any common sense? Is is she trying to stand out in a glamourous way among the sombre clad ladies? Queen Mathilde looked beautiful & elegant in purple & even Teresa May looked appropriate. So Kare didn’t get the memo about the dress code or she’s just too stubborn & callous to care?

          1. Mathilde’s dress looked grayish blue to me. Somber and appropriate but pretty and not stark black or navy.

             It’s all about Kate and being seen and standing out.

    2. I was shocked when I saw she was in white. I was kind of in the fence at the concentration camp but full on white (or cream)?

    3. Well Kate always likes to stand out. Whether it’s wearing red whenever everyone else is wearing white or wearing white when everyone else is in somber colors.
       I like the coat dress but not for this occasion. Hate those 80s style earrings, and the rest of the the accessories are her normal blah.
       I wish she would get a pair of lovely pearl drop earrings. The only pearlearrrricngs of hers I like are when she borrows from the Queen. Mathilde’s pearls look nice.

       1. And why is she wearing those dumb pearl things next to the poppy. Have some respect woman. It’s not like those pearls are necessary to the outfit and let the poppy stand on its own. The amount of disrespect during memorial services from her has been unreal. She has no idea of the history of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for her lifestyle of luxury. If Germany won WWI her life would not be what it is because the royal family would not exist anymore. She doesn’t get it.

          And it’s one thing for a random person to be like that, but she is supposed to representing the government and if she can’t get herself together then she needs a serious dressing down. The BRF is mostly about pomp and circumstance and if she can’t get that straight she has no point for her existence in the BRF. And certainly no need to receive any funding from the taxpayers.

          During WWI many countries like Australia and Canada sacrificed a significant portion of their young men to save the UK’s bacon simply because they were former colonies. The US didn’t show up until 1917 and really Australia and Canada didn’t have to either. But they volunteered for king and country and were treated as second class by the UK commanders. Despite that the former colonies won certain key battles to help turn the tide, including the Canadians at Passchendaele. But I bet you Kate (and likely Will too) have zero idea of what happened.

          1. How is the pearl brooch disrespectful? The Queen wears brooches all the time with her poppies and no one considers that disrespectful.

             1. Yeah, I was reading some people think brooches are disrespectful but HM does it, Sophie does it, Camilla does it. Fine with me. I think the brooch Kate wore is really chintzy and tacky because it looks like 80s costume jewelry my grandma would love. Why doesn’t Kate wear some of the glorious diamond brooches in the vault hat haven’t seen the light of day in generations?

             2. I actually thought the brooch was a nice touch because it added something special for the occasion since Kate rarely wears brooches. But at the end of the day, I think the commemoration events shouldn’t be focused on Kate’s clothes, so her use of repeats I thought was a good thing. I would just hate to see the entire conversation about the event consumed by arguments over clothes the way the Stutthof visit was.

             3. The Queen(s) can do whatever they want. They never fought in battle in WWI. Their thing is being seen as an individual not as a soldier with his company. Women think that symbols should be adorned when they should be left alone.
                Protocol handed down from male family members, the poppy is never, ever obscured or adorned by any medal, badge or pin. It is placed in the lapel button hole. If it needs to be affixed, use a straight pin or safety pin attached from behind the poppy and hidden. The poppy stands on its own. I thought this was family lore however, the historic manuals for both AL and VFW in the family archives have the same instructions. We have the poppies that the men wore year-in year-out in the family. One poppy for dozens of years.
                So say the veterans (living and dead) in my family.

             4. The Queen, Camilla, and Sophie all have worn brooches with their poppies. So I don’t understand why when Kate does it it is seen as disrespectful but when those three other ladies do it it is not seen as disrespectful.

15. To clarify, when I said “I’m kind of over the short hair on her”, I meant I’m bored by the fact that Charlene only does two hairstyles. In the same way I am bored by the fact that Kate only does two hairstyles.

    1. Yeah, Charlene I think looked better when her hair was slightly longer, that short bob looked fabulous; this looks sort of trying to be avant garde but reminds me of the Backstreet Boys circa 1999. 😛

16. I have nothing against Charlene but I don’t like this look at all. I don’t like the short hair on her, it’s too severe. I like short hair on some women but it’s not working for her IMO. As far as the jumpsuit, no. I don’t like it at all! The back crack looks horrendous, I can’t believe she squeezed into that thing. Looks like she jumped out of a disco ball. The material looks very itchy and uncomfortable. I also just don’t like jumpsuits.
    Dare, I say, it, I will… It looks like Charlene had some work done to her face and it looks awful.

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