115 thoughts on “George & Charlotte steal the show on final day in Germany”

1. I love lavender, so I like the dress even if I find the accessorizing boring as all get out. I like that Kate got more involved during this whole tour instead of standing back. Wish we’d see more substance a la Camilla or Sophie giving speeches but, it’s an improvement. She seemed way more into the whole trip than William who was his usual a-holey self.

   George is the cutest ever, I’m glad he got to go on that helicopter, I bet he had so much fun! William helping Charlotte up the steps is very sweet. I still don’t get why bring the kids, except to promote interest in them, it seems like they were over it. I hope they weren’t stuck inside the whole trip! I feel sad everyone was going on about how ‘bad’ Charlotte was, but maybe it will break up the whole Charlotte = perfect lady, George = bad boy narrative? I doubt it. :/

2. I like this dress, too. It’s a good color and cut, though maybe 3/4 sleeves would be more flattering. I love it when kids are kids, regardless of where or who’s watching. I think Kate did well on this tour.

3. I liked this dress also. Lavender is such a pretty colour and it suited Kate.
   I also liked the family’s colour co ordinated outfits at the airport.

   1. Ok, so I am in the minority. I did not like the bodice of the lavender dress. Or, perhaps, the pointy undergarments the Duchess chose to wear under it. Stop the pointy boobs, Kate. Please. Ms. Quinn, it’s up to you to talk to her, methinks.

      Yes, Kate did well on the tour, so thumbs up. And, the kids are so cute.

      I’m a fan of Charlotte’s forever after that mini tantrum. Kids of her age get so mad sometimes and then, once it’s over, it’s over! She is adorable! I liked that William was finally hands-on with her helping her up those stairs into the plane. But, in the video, Kate took over pretty quickly again.

      I loved that George loved the helicopter. He was so happy!!! Finally, he was able to relax a bit. I think these ventures are tough on him, because he seems shy. I feel for him when he feels overwhelmed.

4. I also loved this dress; she looked great in the color. As for this tour, I agree with Ellie that Kate was more involved. I definitely thought she shone on this tour as opposed to William. Sure, maybe, she didn’t give a speech, but she seemed much more involved and happy. I saw light in her eyes and a glow about her.

   As for the children, I thought George was adorable, and I just loved little Charlotte and her little tantrum. Those children are adorable. You could see the strong bond with their folks. Thanks for covering this last bit of the tour, KMR.

   1. Kathleen: +1

   2. +1

5. Any Balmoral sightings of the Cambridges this summer?

   1. Not that I have seen. Although, William has an engagement in Scotland with Charles today, I believe.

      1. I wish we had a British royal family equivalent to the Spanish RF decamping to Palma for the summer. I’d quite like the entire BRF awkwardly bumbling around the Isle of Wight in full view of the world’s press for a month every year!

      2. I wonder what their conversations have been like lately, in light of the daily articles about Diana and the call for Camilla to never be Queen?

         1. They can’t be happy about their mother’s tapes and flaws being put out there given the whitewashing they did with their interview/documentary. But then again, maybe that’s why they did that interview/documentary, because they wanted to get ahead of all the crap that’s coming out now.

            1. I actually was thinking about the conversation between Charles and William.

            2. I was wondering the same thing, Queen Lauri. I’m sure it’s going to be ridiculously awkward between father & son.

            3. Oh, my bad, Lauri. I thought you meant William and Harry. Yes, I agree that the conversation between William and Charles won’t be… the best ever. With all this new Diana stuff, there is new anti-Charles stuff, too. And Charles can’t be happy about that. But William, in my opinion, has played a part in the anti-Charles stuff, so yeah that is awkward.

            4. Queen Lauri, William and Harry must be aware of all aspects of their mother’s life. It’s been public for years. How they reconcile their careful curation of her image with the less pleasant facts, I don’t know. I really think they should have left the commissioned documentary alone, along with the statue and just asked the public to enjoy the new gardens in her memory. No statements, nothing. Their own unresolved feelings about their mother’s death, and their family, need to be professionally dealt with.

            5. I agree Jen, a lovely garden for all to enjoy and perhaps a simple statement about the garden would have been perfect.

6. Love the lilac, I just wish she would accessorise a little better. This plain dress is crying out for one of HM’s fabulous brooches. Her shoe game is so dull.

   I agree with everyone Kate did well on this tour and looked more involved. Whilst I love seeing the kids I feel annoyed that foreigners get to see them so much more than we do at home.

   Well done Charlotte a little tantrum makes you seem like every other two year old, and that’s good. Hopefully George follows Uncle Harry and becomes a real helicopter pilot and finishes his training.

7. The kids are cute, but I’m extremely cynical about them being taken on this tour. It’s the BRF desperate for positive European PR, so out come George and Charlotte for nothing more than airport photo-ops.

   Kate looks like she always does (yawn). Same for William. I do like the color of the dress.

8. . . . . George and Charlotte are no different to any other of the same age – if the word “cute” ticks the box then OK – if Willnot and Cannot decide to dress their offspring in clothes of a bygone age then it just shows them to be the 1% who think the 1950’s was so much more “of a happy home that excluded the “other orders”

   1. When they dress the kids like that it certainly negates the whole “we are normal” image they try to project.

      I am not sure what Kate has done that people think she did more than usual. She didn’t speak or anything. As for participating in the activities well she always did that on other tours so that is nothing new. But she remains the silent smiling mannequin with no voice. Are her pretzel making skills going to help with Brexit negotiations? International relations? Being silent could be William’s idea, but it is a very retrograde idea for Kate to be doing these tours and still not doing any events on her own and actually speaking. She is 35 almost 36. Sophie wasn’t this silent for this long. Diana definitely wasn’t. Maybe CQ will change things.

      1. She seemed more relaxed and engaged more with the crowds. That’s why I gave her a thumb’s up.

      2. It’s only baby steps which is slightly pathetic given her age and length of time in or close to this family, but it is an improvement. To me she remains the weakest of all the married in royals, but I’m just hoping she is now moving onwards and upwards. My biggest criticism of her this year is the inability to step out of the house without a new outfit – and the money being spent on almost identical designer outfits…. white McQs comes to mind. And the shoes and the Kikis. Neither she nor Will have any concept of normal, nor do they show any signs of wanting to know. Charles is no better in terms of spending but at least he doesn’t go on about being normal.

   2. I’m not wealthy by any means but I love and I do mean LOVE seeing children dressed in this manner. It makes them actually seem like children. I’m really over seeing children dressed as mini-adults. It completely makes sense to dress them formally (or semi-formally) for formal/semi-formal occasions. I’m not a fan of the suit-on-children look, so these kinds of outfits just look so sweet and appropriate to me.

      The 50s were by no means perfect but that doesn’t mean that I’ll abandon red lipstick and flared dresses. ☺

      1. Agree with you Tsarina. I love the little dresses Charlotte wears and I am not going anywhere today, except the park playground, but I have my red lipstick on!

         1. I don’t know why so many people are forever railing against the 50s and acting like every woman who lived through that decade was a dolt. Times change, and rightfully so, but sometimes, I think that moms from that decade are given a very poor rap. My grandmother raised her kids in the 50s and 60s and once they were old enough, — her decision – she began teaching grade school again. When she was at home with them, she cooked, baked, cleaned the house — all with help from the children and my grandfather. She had a mind of her own then — and before that and after. So did many of her friends and relatives. If the 1950s bother you so much, take them out of your history books, guys. That seems to be the new trend, doesn’t it? At least in the US.

            Oh, and I love the old 50s/60s television shows. I’m not sitting there judging why I Love Lucy, Donna Reed, and Laura Petrie (DIck Van Dyke Show) stayed home. I’m just laughing at the antics and think all those ladies were great actresses. And, get this: They were actually acting in the l950s and 60s. Working outside their homes! Can you believe it?! Earning actually money, too!!!

            1. History being offensive or making us comfortable is exactly why we should be keeping it in our history books: so that we can learn from our past mistakes and not make the same ones again.

            2. As an Afro-American it was a not a great time for my people; we had almost no rights in the South and a lot of segregation in the North. Throwbacks to the 50’s aren’t seen as a good thing in the Afro-American community but I like how George and Charlotte are dressed.

            3. Jessica, I hope my comments were not offensive to you. I was referring to how often so many people diss the fifties as a time when the world was not good for women. I, of course, realize that in the US, segregation and signs of bigotry were in hte hearts of many people, but not all, thankfully.

               I liked how little Charlotte was dressed, too. And, when I call back to the 50s, I think that there were good times for everyone, because people did have faults, but there was a lot of closeness among individuals, too. Today, many people are too isolated.

               I strongly protest any forms of bigotry and trust me, please, my post was not supporting it in any way.

               We need to know the full truth about what happened in the world at each point in history. As, KMR, said, if we don’t know things, how can we learn to behave in a more favorable light?

            4. I definitely see how issues with the 50s and the 60s will make people uncomfortable. It wasn’t a great time for my people or the history of America in general. However, it was also a transformative period, a period in which many people rose up and changes were made, that is something I will never forget about that era. It was an era in which change began for women and minorities, many were repressed and slowly they started rebelling and inching towards more rights and freedom.

               Also, I think you can take the fashion without extolling virtues on every single thing from the decade(s).

            5. My one grandmother had untreated bipolar disorder making my mother’s life difficult until the 80s when she finally got treatment and my other grandmother worked hard on the farm and didn’t have her name on it until a medical emergency required her to have access to banking authority. So I don’t idealize that era at all. There was nothing romantic about it and the oppression that women faced, especially if they didn’t want to simply stay home was depressing. And my family is white so I can’t imagine what families of colour had to face with all the racism that was openly accepted.

               The fashion is fine, but the racism and sexism can stay there.

      2. +1
         I always thought it’s just seen negativ.If you are loved by your family, it doesn’t matter if you are a housewife or a working wife.But I got the impression lately, that people wonder what a woman does at home all day.They see their total existence just in their work. There are many, many children today who would love a respected “typical” 50s mother today, there is absolutley nothing wrong with that.
         I loved my grandmother dearly, she was a great, typical grandmother with cooking and sewing, but she also had character and started to work immediatly as her children were old enough.There were many downsights for women in this time, but I would not say that it was terrible per se for all women.It depends, like today, if you are loved and respected for what you do.

         1. I loved all you wrote, Lovely Blossom.

            1. Herazeus, I fell as if you are lecturing me. We are each entitled to our opinions, but please don’t lecture me. Single me out. Many people have differing opinions. Mine are mine and yours are yours, but you make it a habit, often, to act like a professor to some of us who are your first grade pupils. I am not in the best of moods today, but I areally don’t need to be lectgured by you.

               Sitcoms are just that. Funny. The ones that spell out what is wrong with society in a funny way are great. The ones that were set in different eras and reflected those times are part of history. To be honest, I don’t think any recent sitcomes truly reflect society as it exists.

               And, please don’t think that every woman who was married in teh l950s was held down by society. Many did work. Had jobs, broke through in arenas where women were not doing similar things. YHou cannot erase history. Though, may people tryl
               If I am looking for diversion from today’s ugly and violet war, I look at older movies or tv shows and lose myself. I don’ necessarily believe that the real world was like that. But, in entertainment, for the most part, we are all spoonfed stories. Some are more representative of real iife than others.

               I have no way of knowing your age. I’m going to be 30 next year. But, I don;t find many of today’s comedies that funny. I look at them to enjoy myself You look at what you want and that is great.

               But, please when I heard you say, Jenny and then go on to read me your philosophy, I really didn’t find it useful or really very nice. I could lay some nasty things, but I chooose not to do so right now. Some people see things and can laugh. Others, just get too caught up in anger and hostile feelings. I believe that many, many women who survived the 50s did so because they had more going on in their minds and hearts than ayone could possibly know, except those who knew them super well. Some men may have tried to keep women down back then. Some men still do.

         2. The problem with the 50s and 60s is all the media that has convinced the world that it was an idealised time in the world.

            Firstly, WW2 was still in the rearview mirror. Most of the world was still devastated from that, trying to rebuild their world. Rationing didn’t stop in Britain until 1954. That meant very little food for most of the population unless they lived in the countryside and could grow their own food to supplement the rations allowed by the govt. Assuming of course that the govt hadn’t requisitioned your land to produce food for the rest of the population.

            https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationing_in_the_United_Kingdom

            50s and 60s was civil unrest in the rest of the world due to ongoing efforts to throw off colonisation from European powers.

            Europe was completely and utterly shattered and had to rebuild everything from infrastructure to social housing.

            Some people were ok, and i guess America being safely at a distance from the war wasn’t as shattered, BUT of course the minority citizens were still suffering under cruel laws which they had to fight to overturn.

            And studies with evidence have been done to show that the western govt colluded with advertising to entice women to get back to being housewives from the jobs they’d held so that those jobs could be handed to returning men. Most famously chapter 9 of the ‘Feminine mystique’ by Betty Friedan. And any basic thesis on women in the 50s and 60s eg
            https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-us-history/period-8/apush-1950s-america/a/women-in-the-1950s

            https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://baylor-ir.tdl.org/baylor-ir/bitstream/handle/2104/8951/Thesis%2520Overall%2520Format.pdf%3Bsequence%3D1&ved=0ahUKEwjYle_05tzVAhUEa1AKHQnxAlkQFgglMAA&usg=AFQjCNE-lzkFQSXSRgBJKobkGPghtlwTWg

            The 1950s housewife, happy or not, is as much an advertising myth as Kate’s success as a royal which is also more about the PR machine than reality.

            Advertising and tv shows of the day pushed this myth of the happy housewife, but if you really look at a show like ‘i love lucy’ you can see that even that wasn’t a happy set up. Lucy was desperate to have a job outside the home and was forever thwarted by Ricky or external elements designed to keep her at home no matter how loudly she protested or tried to get out.

            ‘Bewitched’ is superficially a show about a happy housewife, yet she barely stays at home and spends all her time having adventures outside the home. One could argue that her mother tricked her into it, but she rarely resisted any such opportunities and luckily had witchcraft to fool her hubby into assuming that she was a happy at home housewife who stayed at home all day.

            1. As stated above my grandmother was the housewife but due to her untreated mental illness she was not the best of mothers.
               Now my mother, who worked and was a fully realized person was much happier when we were kids and remains happy to this day.
               The problem with the 50s was the fixed gender roles and no room to be different. Mothers weren’t quite as involved back then either. They weren’t bringing them to after school activities, rarely encouraged going to unviversity and unlikely to help with homework. The 50s housewife is a myth and never existed outside of television. I have parents raised by the 50s housewife and they made a point not to be the same because they did not feel it was a great experience.

            2. THere are still fixed gender roles, only today if a woman chooses to remain home, she’s looked at in a peculiar light. I’m for people doing what they want to do. No matter what anyone says, I have read about, heard about, and had family members who thrived in the 50s and 60s and made something of their lives. Something, by the way, means more than a great corporate job.

            3. It’s entertainment. Funny. I don’t think Lucy and Ricky need to be analyzed so intensely. They were part of sitcom world pre-All in the Family.

               I know we are all entitled to our opinions and that’s great. But, for anyone to think women — or men, for that matter – are happier today, just witness all the people who are pursuing therapy. Not everyone wants to be a female CEO and not every woman wants to be a stay-at-home mom. In my opinion, family and friends are what really matter in my life. If I publish a book, great. If one of my plays gets produced. Also, great. But, on my deathbed, I don’t think I will be appreciating any of that more than appreciating the people I loved and who loved me. That’s me, though. And, I am not saying that career women don’t love their families and look for love, too,

            4. Jenny: it’s not that women *have to be* CEOs to be fulfilled. It’s that women were gaslighted into very fixed gender roles with no way out. See comment by Nic919 about her relatives.

               Govts, advertising and TV were instrumental in the gaslighting.

               It is the primary reason women rebelled so swiftly during this period and became militant feminists, burning bras etc as a direct result in being pushed back into the box they had escaped from as a result of the war.

               It’s a horrible thing to say given the horrors and deaths, but WW2 is the best thing that happened to women and being released from centuries indoctrination of fixed gender roles.

               We’ve come a long way since tye militant feminism of the 60s and 70s, and we haven’t achieved perfect equality yet. Gender roles for men are still very fixed whilst women are more fluid. It’s probably why men fill threatened because they are still indoctrinated into their fixed gender roles to a degree whilst women, outside of conservative environments, are free to choose.

               I do not dismiss the experiences of your family because in every situation, even in conservative societies, you do find people who are happy with their lot and see no problems at all.

               ….but for the world at large, the 50s and 60s were not happy place at all, and the happy 50s housewife is much a myth.

               And never, ever discount the influence of hollywood to influence society. You think the people who watch Fox News / CNN aren’t being subliminally influenced?

               You think a seemingly cosy TV show isn’t subliminally influencing societal behaviour?

               Why do you think people yell, metarphorically speaking, to have representative TV. And i don’t mean just racially, but in terms of content and themes?

      3. “I love and I do mean LOVE seeing children dressed in this manner. It makes them actually seem like children. I’m really over seeing children dressed as mini-adults.”

         Tsarina: Agreed. I adore smocked dresses for little girls; I also like George’s shorts.

   3. I really don’t see much of a difference between how the Swedish kids are dressed for official events and how the Cambridge kids are dressed for official events, and the Swedish royals are never called out for “1950s throwbacks”. I get the “1950s throwback” thing at Charlotte’s Christening because of the stroller, but other than that their clothes aren’t that terrible or “1950s throwback”-ish. It seems perfectly normal to dress kids in more formal attire for official events. We’ve seen pap pics of George and Charlotte enough to know that they don’t dress them like that every day. These clothes are the formal stuff for formal events, in the same way the Swedish kids are dressed in formal stuff for formal events. Nothing wrong with that.

      1. These styles are actually middle class styles for children from the 30s to at least 1960. Coats with velvet collars, smocked dresses, one strap red shoes (Stride Right ?). Best & Co. in the US carried them. I don’t remember the shorts for boys, though; maybe with our colder winters they never caught on (anyone remember snowsuits?)

         We wore petticoats under our smocked dresses, and they were always itchy. Thank god for Jackie Kennedy and sleek styles after 1960, though I think her daughter wore these dresses, and did John-John wear shorts?

         1. I think he was wearing shorts under his coat on the day of JFK’s funeral. When he saluted the casket, it seems to me, you could see bare legs under the coat. But, maybe I am not right. I don’t have time to google to find a photo of that day. What really made the impact on so many people’s minds was that little brave salute!

            My mom always talks about buying her Easter clothes at Best & Co. I love little smocked dresses, too. When my baby was about six months old, my parents went to Great Britain and my mom bought several little smocked dresses in different sizes for her. To me, they are most precious.

            1. John Jr definitely wore shorts (or rompers) for more formal occasions like Easter, state visit, and his father’s funeral. I believe that was the norm in that era. They were really short so it made his coat look like a dress but this was completely normal. I think it’s adorable especially under 8 (which is when I think George will stop wearing shorts).

               http://sloblogs.thetribunenews.com/sidetracked/files/2009/02/jfk-jr.jpg

         2. I don’t remember John-John in shorts, but he did wear a lot of what we (in the South anyways) came to call “John-Johns”–one piece, sleeveless jumper thingy that did have short legs; you could wear it with our without a shirt under it, but it was not separate shorts and shirt, like George wears. My own boys wore John-Johns while toddlers, but once they reached George’s age they were too old for them.

            1. Rompers!

            2. Yes, rompers! Why couldn’t I think of that to start with?

         3. They’re often called “John-Johns’ after him because he wore them. 🙂

      2. That’s because Victoria can almost do no wrong. But seriously I like George’s shorts and shoes.

         1. I like Victoria but find her a bit dim and naive, certainly, and she should be more present/work more though I understand other royals aren’t as busy as the BRF. (Victoria having no clue why anybody would want a republic is pretty puzzling.)

   4. In this instance, the children served as merely matching accessories. There was no need for their presence: first, the tour was just a few days long and the children would have been well-cared for at home; it’s been done before. Second, they provided a distraction to the events timetabled. Can anyone list ten events William and Kate attended in Poland and Germany? I’d suggest folk could more readily identify what the children wore than recall the various events comprising this ‘diplomatic’ Brexit tour. Third, these very small children, were only sighted on airport tarmacs, either boarding or deplaning. Fourth, the Cambridge’s are infamous for demanding privacy and ‘normalcy’ for their children, yet cynically bring them out when their own popularity needs a boost.

9. I love the levander dress even Charlotte’s dress too. George and Charlotte are cute and lovely. I don’t like Kiki, but these ametysts have beautiful cut and they are big. The clutch is weird for me, but I like that it is red and Kate is trying out of her comfort zone.

   I don’t know why but since they announced Rebecca would quit Kate seems to be more confident and relaxed. Maybe I’m just happy she will have get a “serious” secretary who could be her stable origo from diplomacy and small talk to wisdom and knowledge. I like to believe that Kate chose Catherine because why not. We don’t know the real Kate behind her uncertain hesitating personality I notice firstly whenever I see Kate. I like to think she collected her Capricorn side and finally had her balls to speak in favor of her own well-being in that messy royal houshold.

   1. AnnaH, I admire your optimism. I’m afraid I believe that Ms. Quinn was not her decision, though. I think the higher ups are finally putting their stamp on things and making it known that the Cambridges have to step up.

      1. Hehe. Optimism is my drug. I think that higher ups should have exist since their engagement. At least.

10. I thought they said after the Canadian tour the kids won’t go on tour again so why did they bring them? Was the tour even a success?

    1. Interesting I think to look at magazine covers. Hello has Kate but if you look across the big monthly magazines there is no Kate in the cover. In Dianas day, love her or hate her, she was on all the covers whenever they could find a reason to put her there. Diana had charisma ( as did President Clinton) which meant that people forgot or ignored the bad because the good was so stunningly good. Kate probably doesn’t have the ‘bad’ stories, but equally she has no charisma, sparkle, je ne sais quoi. Well that’s my personal opinion anyway.

       1. Well some people are more special than others. Diana was the only one who had Charisma, Je ne sais quoi.

          1. Clinton may have had charisma, but it sure faded away. Many people are not excusing him for many things these days. What goes around comes around, my neighbor says. I’m on the fence, but just wanted to point it out,
             I’m taqlking charisma, nothing else. I think the man may be seriously ill. He did not do too well after that heart surgery, if you ask me.

          2. In all honesty, I think Kate indeed lacks the sparkle Diana had but, guess what? I’m happy she’s not like Diana in many ways. Diana had a divorce, she was an embarrament for the royal family, she played and manipulated the press, she used her children (in a way worse way than Kate does now), and then she died. Sure, she was sparkle and charm and whatnot, but it didn’t last long. Kate has her undeniable flaws and she lacks so many things, but I’m quite sure she’s here for the long run. At least she’s not giving interviews about how dark and twisty the royal family is.

       2. Diana was on the covers because she sold magazines. I don’t think Kate has that appeal.

11. Thanks for the belated post KMR!!

    I have to say that this is by far my least favorite outfit of the tour. This lavender coat dress is just another in a long line of blah coat dresses, it just screams for a great brooch or interesting necklace or even a contrasting belt. Imho, the red clutch serves no purpose, it’s not an interesting and contrasting piece, it just hangs out there like an after thought. Now if she had worn a great pair of red shoes or even a pair of red earrings, something to tie it together, then the clutch would make more sense. This seems to be my constant complaint about Kate’s fashion, the accessories are either non-existent or seem to be random choices instead of pieces chosen to create a “look”. Sigh…

    I have to say seeing Charlotte’s temper tantrum was my favorite part of this tour!!! I loved how she threw herself on the ground, what a little pistol!! Kids are so great at this age, exploring everything, starting to develop their own personalities, starting to share their likes and dislikes, ah so much fun!

    1. I also loved seeing the well-known toddler tantrum progression – stomping followed by a collapse on the ground, and I smiled at Kate quickly scooping her up before she could move into the ultimately uncooperative “stiff as a board” position 🙂 Like other commenters, I’m not really sure why the kids came along on the tour, but I certainly enjoyed this little moment and seeing George’s pure delight iin the helicopter.

       1. Great description of the infamous toddler tantrum, Constance. Ah, the stiff as a board phase. Yes, pick the child up before it gets to that point!

          How are you feeling? Healing well, I hope.

          1. Jenny, how thoughtful of you to ask. Yes, healing well, thank you. One more week in my cast and then into a lighter splint.

             1. HOpe the week flies by. I am sure being in a cast in the hot summer has not been pleasant. Wishing you continued healing. I am still laughing at your wonderful description of the toddler tantrum. I could smile and be amused by Charlotte, because I was not her Mum handling it with the world watching. I think, as you said, Kate did a good job!

             2. I replied, but it did not post, let me try again.
                I wish you a quick last week in the cast. Tough, I am sure. Especially in the summer! I hope you are feeling better each day.

                I’m still smiling at your tantrum description. I laughed when I saw Charlotte let loose in the DM coverage back when it happened. Of course, I could do that as I wasn’t the Mum having to cope with the tantrum in full view of the media. As you said, Kate did a good job!

                Those little tantrums are so predictable in their progression. ah, to be two and trying to make sense of your world!

    2. Haha. I agree. And as tantrums go it was really minor.

    3. As much as I liked her lavender dress Queen Lauri, I thought the same as you.
       Shoes in the same colour as the clutch would have really ramped up Kate’s overall look.

       1. It’s these little “misses” in her fashion game that drive me crazy!

       2. Oh man shoes in the same color as the clutch would have made this such a win!

12. I am so pleased that Kate seems to be getting help for her very serious Button Aversion Disorder. BAD affects nearly one persons in the UK each and every year and I’m glad that she has been brave enough to seek the therapy she so desperately needed.

    Now if only someone would remind her that you do not take things from a toddler, Charlotte wouldn’t have to get so stern with her in public.

    1. LOL! Too funny, Alexandra!!!

       Thanks, I needed that laugh.

13. I heart that picture of George so stinking much! He’s gonna be a heartbreaker in a few years.

    This is the first time I’m really able to view Charlotte’s little fit and on a scale of 1-10, that’s like a 1.5 barely making a blip on the radar. I give Kate sincere props for handling it quickly and quietly.

    As for Kate’s dress? The color looks lovely on her but the pointy boobs are a no-no for me. It reminds me of the pointy boobs she had when she wore when she got married. Meh.

    Charlotte is a cute and like I said, her hissy fit didn’t really phase me, I guess because my youngest sister threw tantrums that were legendary within our family haha!

    Sorry I haven’t been here for a while. I’ve got a blog post (or two) in mind that I’d love to write but the words aren’t coming. One is inspired by a friend’s book that I read and though it has been years since I bought it (and re-read it every now and then), a small paragraph still stands out to me. In it, she mentions how, even though her friend looked meticulous with her 80s hair, perfectly applied makeup, etc., her illness (in this case, Cystic Fibrosis) was ugly so, in turn, the side affects (coughing, digestive issues, etc.) made her appear ugly. I was taken aback at the bluntness of that story but also grateful. For the first time, I saw in print someone say something that I didn’t have the courage to say out loud because I was afraid I’d look like a weirdo for thinking that. In fact, the passage made me realize how true that is within society about one’s appearance. Someone can have an invisible illness and be gorgeous/stunning/cute/handsome/etc. but the moment the physical side affects from said illness appear, that makes them appear ugly to society. In fact, to the point where society will say that person is “gorgeous/stunning/cute/handsome, for a sick person” rather than “gorgeous/stunning/cute/handsome period” and I’d like to talk about that but the words aren’t forming in my mind and it’s driving me crazy because I know it’s within me but I’m just not quite able to put fingers to keyboard and simply write.

    The second post would be about high school. I was supposed to graduate with the class of 1998 but, because of transplant, I held myself back a year and graduated the following June though, truth be told, I still feel a deep affinity with the people I went to elementary and middle school with (thus, the class of ’98) than the people who were in classes with me in high school! I think the main reason is because, while most transplant recipients have a pre-transplant and post transplant “before and after”, I have an additional one: mine is pre knowing how sick I was (age 2-June of 1994, at the age of 14) and post knowing how sick I was (June of 1994-beyond).

    Growing up, the word transplant never entered my vocabulary. It simply couldn’t since I was too busy tormenting my sisters, getting into mischief, making the honor roll, getting my first kiss (sort of) when I was in the 1st grade, attending Girl Scouts, playing on my NES, going through puberty, etc. though, truth be told, my parents always knew that transplant was in my future but never told me and I found out how sick I was via a doctor I’d literally just met when he diarrhea-mouthed to my dad and me, “I’ve just gone over the results of Kimberly’s Echocardiogram, let’s talk transplant centers!” Ooh yeah, you definitely had a pissed off/hurt/angry/scared 14 year old on your hands who now had to take this wild ride called transplant and, thankfully, I’ve come out of it kicking some serious patootie but, because of transplant (and everything associated with it) I never got the “typical high school experience” and I believe a part of me will always resent it in a way. My folks already know how much I detested high school and they (especially my mom) feel bad for the big move we had when I was 15 years old (we moved out of the house we’d lived in for 10.5 years–my main childhood years) which added to the difficulties because I had to attend schools where those kids attended one elementary and middle school and mine was completely different. I’m just trying to find a way to write about it without sounding like a horrible person.

    Whew! I’m so sorry for venting to you all. I hope this post is okay. Hugs!!

    1. Kimothy, no regular posters on KMR would ever consider you a horrible person. I am in awe of you, and I’m sure I’m not alone. I have a brother who has been wheelchair bound all his life so I’m aware of all the issues of being a sibling of someone with serious health problems. When you’re young it’s not always easy to never be the first priority. As you grow up you realise what everyone else is going through.
       You are an inspiration to me, and to many others.
       Take care, sending hugs.

       1. Birdy,

          Thank you and same thing with my first sister, Mel, who is almost four years younger than me. She blamed me personally (not my illness) for a long time for all of her problems and issues but now, in her 30s, she realizes that, considering what we were up against, Mom and Dad did a damn good job at keeping all five of us together and in fact, it’s because of what I experienced that led her to become a nurse! She feels she can bring a unique perspective because of her insight, is now an LPN and is hoping to get her RN eventually. Right now, she’s just trying to find a job.

    2. Kimothy, you are not a horrible person. I lost a sister because she needed a transplant and couldn’t get one. I comforted myself for a long time with the thought that well, it wouldn’t have worked anyway. I am happy for you, very happy and while I’m not awestruck I think you are honest and forthright. I was bullied, embarrassed, beat up, insulted, demeaned and it was made clear to me from my first breath that I was ugly. This is why I resent the insinuation that if you are ‘pretty’ you are worth more, this is writing off a whole lot of good people. Me, I’m a flat out hermit. I am convinced, will always be convinced, that I don’t belong in society and unlike others have no dreams of meeting anyone since they wouldn’t want to see me. In our ‘family’ we were labeled. My sister was the ‘pretty one’, and I was the ugly one with all the brains.’ The emphasis on looks angers me to no end. We have no control, nor did the ones blessed with ‘good looks’, it’s unearned, and yet in our society it matters. Too much. I do whatever I can to bring something good to the world, but always always behind the scenes. I absolutely love **sarcasm** the ones who say it’s what’s inside that counts. Yeah riiiiiiiiiiiiight. Show me a ‘nice kind but not pretty Miss America’.
       KMR, hopefully I didn’t step out of bounds with this post, I was reacting to Kimothy, she really hit a ‘hot button’ with me. Oh, and by the way I have a ‘special needs’ son. I hear you, at least what you were able to put into words, I hope.

       1. Yikes! Hope I didn’t hit the “hot button” in a bad way, royalsareajoke. Do I need to apologize?

          1. No way!!! 🙂

             1. Just checking. 😉

14. Well, I guess I’m a dissenter. I thought that tour was silly, pointless, and simply ‘playtime’ in another country. Kate’s ‘directing the orchestra’ was ridiculous, and hardly increases her credibility as an adult, let alone a future head of state. Making pretzels? Pull hair back. Taking the kids was in my opinion a desperate attempt to drum up interest, pure pr. Having said that I loved the comment about **don’t take something away from a tired toddler in public**, paraphrased on my part, but downright funny:) If George were older I’d say in that one picture in the heli, he was mocking the photographers and sending a message to mum and dad that he knew exactly what was going on. Along that line anything whatsoever that proves to be fun for those two children is awesome.
    I had never heard of a disorder causing fear of pushing buttons prior to today. If Kate does suffer from this, then good for her for overcoming it. I learn so much from the boards:)

    1. The button pushing comment was a joke considering how averse Kate is to doing it, or indeed doing anything! 🙂

       1. Thanks Ellie, I wondered but wasn’t about to mock waity for something she might actually suffer from, like **cough cough** HG. I thought the exact same thing, so hard for her to do something on her own, so thanks again:)

          1. Bahaha. *cough HG cough*is the best way to put it, for sure…. so sick she couldn’t work but could go on holiday!

             1. 🙂

       2. I thought you were referring to buttons on clothes, and was puzzled because there were no buttons on the lilac dress. ?

          1. Oh thank goodness I was confused too !!? I thought it was something g American that I didn’t understand ???

             1. Guys! Kate’s aversion to button pressing is well-documented by KMR. I encourage you to go back and read the article above and check out the link she inserted to previous coverage of Kate’s issues with button-pushing.

                It’s really one of my favorite KMR “bits.”

15. I loved the dress because I love the color; the kids looked great also even though I don’t love smocked dresses. Charlotte’s dress pattern is cute but I don’t like the puffed sleeves; I would prefer a sleeveless dress with a sweater or a long-sleeved dress.

    1. I looove the little smocked dresses. If I had a daughter I would be broke.

       As is, my son dresses like George, and likes to. Boys here wear athletic clothes…and that’s it. As if they are at PE all the time. And it is always all black! He loves the attention he gets for what passes as dressing up (wearing a cute shirt, sweater or dress shirt and shorts and nice shoes).

       1. Do you live in the US or UK.

          1. The US.

             Did a lot of shopping for my son when we were in the UK visiting family but now he has outgrown all the adorable clothes 🙁

             1. Athletic gear/athleisure wear is definitely becoming the norm for Americans. I think it’s fine but not everyday. I would love to see people put a little bit more effort into a smart casual look.

             2. I notice the girls are usually dressed with some effort, but the boys, nah, Nike athletic pants and sneakers and tank tops! And buzz cuts. It’s not very attractive. (Nobody knows how to cut my son’s hair. I just show them pictures of George now, as they all just do buzzcuts on boys around here.)

             3. Try Boden, (free shipping) it’s a bit colourful at times but the smock dresses and jackets and shirts and polos for boys are available. In Australia it’s similar, especially with the runners/sports shoes. My kids wear sandals all summer – ones they can run in – but I see so many kids with socks and runners on, no matter what the weather. School shoes are leather and that seems to be mostly it for many.

             4. I’m wondering where in the US you are, because where my family lives, all the boys are dressed cute and buzzcuts are few and far between.

                Carters has nice close for little boys. As does Gap, but it’s more pricey.

16. Thanks for the update KMR.

    Let’s see – the positives? Kate did seem to do more on this tour. I’m expecting her to lift her game now when on engagements in the UK?

    The kids were cute, OMG George being so happy on that helicopter! Charlotte with that wee bouquet…

    1. Sorry, I fell asleep there. That tour was a bit of a snooze fest?

17. This tour was underwhelming. I have no opinion on what George and Charlotte wore, they were dressed as befits who they are, so no surprises there. I also have no issue that their parents made a decision to have their children with them, I think this was influenced by the fact that it was so close to George’s birthday.
    Kate’s wardrobe-Forgettable. Accessorization (if there is such a word)-Hideous. Makeup-looks like the black eyeliner is creeping back little by little. Hair-I won’t even go there!
    Just a big waste of money.

18. I do not understand this situation? The children can be seen outside G.B. But not in G.B. How bizarre is that!

    1. I agree they complain when they are photographed in Britain but are quite happy to show them of abroad for good publicity they seem to forget who pays for them if they keep them away from public they will complain like w and h when they grow up and realise they cant have a normal l

       1. To be fair, William and Kate have also complained about their kids being photographed without their consent abroad as well. And they have not complained when their kids were photographed with their consent in the UK. They just take their kids to more engagements outside of the UK than inside the UK, but they don’t complain about their kids being photographed at official events and they do complain about their kids being photographed while not at official events regardless of where in the world they are.

          1. The only time they didn’t complain was when they were in Australia, or was it New Zealand, with photos of them and George and then photos of W&K acting coupley (with Kate jumping in the air while holding hands with William? I found that so weird). I think if it furthers their public image, their PR they want to show to the world, they are fine with it.

             1. A future king of GB should be seen more in the UK than in Europe . There are no legitimate excuses.
                Increasingly the British public have no interest, and if they want George to be King they need to think about that. Apathy will only see them safe for so long.

             2. I definitely agree that George, especially, and Charlotte need to be seen more in the UK, but at official events. They need to be taken to engagements and allowed to meet people. I think it would benefit the Cambs in more ways than one if they set up about 2 engagements a year specifically designed for the kids to get used to engagements/press/public and for the public to be introduced to the kids.

             3. From what I remember (I would have to go back and check to make sure), they did complain about those photos of them in Oz. What happened was KP complained, and the British press complied, but the Oz/other non-UK press did not comply. But KP did complain.

             4. I know those were two separate ‘incidents’ mind you but I think they were angry with one of them and were okay with the other, I think okay with the ones of them and George on Easter?

             5. From memory, the offending pics in Australia were taken of Kate walking George in a pram in the grounds of Government House in Canberra, where they were staying. It was innocuous. The UK press complied with the request not to publish since they are well and truly obedient to the BRF’s wishes, but other jurisdictions didn’t give a toss.

             6. KMR, I agree that the children could be introduced to public appearances in a gradual way. I know these suggestions will sound as though it is dividing along gender lines but hear me out.

                George loves to be around aircraft. His father could take him (just the two of them) to one of the air shows where they will be around the people that fly the aircraft. George could poke into the ones that look interesting to him. As he gets older and learns more, he could ask questions of the exhibitors.

                Charlotte is an unknown at the moment, yet Kate could take her to the Chelsea flower show. Also, just the two of them. There are flowers but also tableaux and whimsical displays that could be interesting to a small child. A child-size welcoming bouquet may tickle her fancy. She would be among other members of the RF (Grandpa maybe) and it would be limited to invitees for the morning hours. It’s not as open to the public as the Sandringham Flower Show which could be an option in later years.

                What do you think?

             7. Those are great suggestions. I would add in two more:

                Kate could take George to the Natural History Museum as she’s talked about him loving dinosaurs for years now.

                William could take Charlotte to a pony ride place. He’s talked about her loving horses and animals, so he could take her to something with animals.

             8. Either one of those things would be adorable, KMR, and I wish they would do that with the kids.

19. Hi KMR, I was wondering when you are going to update Kate’s appearance totals? Also, you labeled them as Kate’s Appearances 2016 🙂 oops!

    1. Good catch, there. I did label it 2016 on the 2017 page. I will definitely be updating the Appearances page this weekend. I am also going to be working on a summary of Kate’s appearances this year, and comparing them to where previous years, which I’m hoping to post on Monday or Tuesday.

       1. Awesome!

20. At first glance Kate seems to have done well on this tour but she never hits 100% does she? She can get the clothes so close to being great then you look again and something is “off”, like mixing different tones of greens, or the randomly picked (in my eyes) red clutch with the lilac dress. Or she manages to wear a red dress to a red carpet event. It seemed she got the tones right there? Or wearing lovely earring which are lost in her hair?

    Of course Charlotte makes a great accessory at the moment, but will there be tears before bed time when Kate realises that Charlotte has grown and no longer wants to be held and guarantee Kate the great photo op?

    Now there is a problem if Charlotte isn’t along on the engagement, it means Kate would have to talk to the people hosting her, or even talk to the public? She wouldn’t be able to use Charlotte as a means to avoid doing her job?

    Here’s hoping that Kate learnt something on the trip, like it’s a good idea not to try and take something from a toddler when they are tired?

    She’s also learnt how to push a button without prompting from William!

    Baby steps I guess?

21. Prince Charles’s Private Secretary, Mark Leishman has left:
    —–

    SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: What on earth is happening at the palace? Prince Charles loses his right-hand man following several key departures

    A Clarence House spokesman confirms: ‘Mark Leishman has left the household after a period of more than 14 years.’

    A royal source says Leishman ‘wanted to move on to new opportunities’, but his departure comes at a time of great turmoil for ‘the Firm’.

    First to announce his resignation was the Queen’s right-hand man, Sir Christopher Geidt.

    He was followed by Her Majesty’s assistant private secretary, Samantha Cohen. The Duchess of Cambridge’s private secretary, Rebecca Deacon, and the Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sir Alan Reid, are also clearing their desks.

    Prince Harry’s private secretary, Edward Lane Fox, is said to be considering his options.

    The shake-up comes as the Queen, 91, and Prince Philip, 96, step back from frontline duties, leaving younger royals to take up the slack — or Operation Handover, as it is said to be known.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4804274/Prince-Charles-loses-right-hand-man-departures.html#ixzz4qCUDPvsD
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