116 thoughts on “Royal Round Up: The British, Part 1”

1. Aaahhh, back to the wonderful royal round-ups. I’ve already had my say about Carole, so I’m singing the theme from “Frozen” and letting it go.

   Harry continues to be a wonderful representative for the family. Thank goodness for him!

   I really wish HM could slow down a bit, but I know that’s not going to happen, so here’s to many more years of good health. I wasn’t particularly fond of Bea’s coat. That shiny front…bleech!!

   Zara kind of took a page out of the recent trend to wear shorts/shorts outfits to events. They were all over the all over that recent Met Gala after parties. Looks like she’s getting in shape though.

   Waiting for the next one!! Keep up the great work!!

   1. Now I’m going to have that Let it Go song in my head for a month. Darn that song!

      Harry really is a gem. He will be the star of the royal family in the years to come, not Will and Kate.

      I’ve never been too fond of Beatrice’s style. It’s hit or miss with Eugenie but there have been things I’ve liked that she’s worn. I don’t think I’ve ever really liked anything Bea has worn.

      Zara is should be getting in shape for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. I don’t mind a good shorts look, but I’m not a huge fan of her top.

2. 1. Inspite of coming from a culture where women go to their parents house for childbirth, I felt after a couple of weeks I need to do it on my own instead of letting my parents help.
   2. The DM article has helped me overcome my insomnia! I nodded off somewhere in the applauding about the great kitchen/ menu planning skills.
   3. Good job Harry. Atleast you seem to put your heart and soul into the work you do and not look like as if you are thinking ” I wonder where can I go shopping and when will this get over”
   4. No pun but I liked the golf outfit. I can see someone smaller than four feet tall in it.
   5. Is there a chance the stylist used for Zara/Autumn can be used for the namesake of this blog?

   1. I skimmed that sugar about Carole’s menu and party planning skills because it was so pointless. It’s like Carole got mad that people think she’s too much in W&K’s marriage and went to the DM to say all the wonderful things she’s good at.

      If the golf pants were slimmer and on a woman (paired with a black shirt), I could see that working well. But on Mike they look a bit clownish.

      I would love to see Kate in a jumpsuit. It would be so different for her.

      1. Oh yeah I agree with the pants on him. I just couldn’t type everything from the smartphone keyboard on a lazy Saturday morning 😀
         And thank you for keeping me entertained with this blog. And thank you everyone for your comments. They sure put a smile on my face!

         1. I hate trying to type comments on my iPhone, it just takes so much longer for me to type stuff. Thank you, and thank you for reading!

      2. The exhaustive list of Carole’s accomplishments was actually incredibly creepy. The amount of control she is apparently exerting over her 33-year old daughter (married mother of 2) seems pathological. Is she really telling Kate to sit up straight at the table, put away her cell phone, and put her napkin on her lap?
         Her focus on perfection screams of trying too hard. That Tatler article about the perfect school picnic hampers made the upper class toffs laugh because when you truly are aristocratic, you don’t need to run around screaming it at the top of your lungs. It was as if the Middletons were wearing t-shirts that said “We’re nouveau riche from TRADE! Look at our perfect, fancy, super expensive food! LOVE US!”
         Historically when the aristocracy married new money, for the money, the goal was to become more aristocratic. Will, not in need of money, seems to have done the exact opposite. Which is fine if all you are ever going to be is a part time pilot. Not so if people literally bow to you because of your position.

         1. Ma Middleton and her hampers? What a joke? I’m sure more people would like her if she wasn’t trying so hard.

         2. It is incredibly creepy how much control Carole has over her daughter. That type of relationship is not healthy.

         3. Amy, well said.

   2. Charlotte over at Duchess Kate says that there have been Carole sightings in Bucklebury the last couple of days.

      1. I don’t believe she is correct. The sightings were on the day of and immediately after the birth. Not in the past few days.

3. It seems like Carole is continuing to make it her mission that William never lose interest in Kate. Carole is there to do all the grunt work so Kate can “get her figure back as soon as possible” and continue to be at William’s beck and call. It’s kind of gross actually.

   The part that disturbed me the most was the reading to George at night bit. Why aren’t Kate or William doing that? Why are they so OK with Carole reading to their baby a night? That’s such an intimate thing. Why wouldn’t they want to be a part of that? I always rolled my eyes at people who said William and Kate weren’t around George very often but now I’m beginning to wonder. What does Kate do all day long?

   1. Let’s see, I imagine that after a while of recuperating from having the baby, she’ll be hitting the treadmill and exercising. She’ll also be getting her face back in order with Botox and whatever else is deemed necessary. Considering she’s going to be on extended maternity leave she can really bond with Charlotte through the feedings. But now that I think about it, she got a night nurse so she can get some sleep. That kind of puts the breastfeeding out. Hopefully she’s at least pumping milk for her (sorry if that’s TMI)

      She’ll be waiting for William to pay attention to her and doing her very best to keep him amused/entertained. And she’s going to be looking to Carole for her cues and for a shoulder to cry on when William heads back to work and leaves her completely alone.

      1. When they went to Maldives without PGtips despite having appointed a new nanny who was to start that very week, a curious explanation was given for leaving new nanny with an unfamiliar child + home. Carole was apparently the one to show the nanny the ropes and the baby’s routine. Which was a very odd thing to make public. Odd that they were open about Carole being in charge of the baby to extent that she was the one providing home training to the new nanny.

         Which means, this time round, Carole + nanny are raising the new baby too.

         Don’t forget, she doesn’t want WK to have to deal with anything unpleasant!!!

         1. “Don’t forget, she doesn’t want WK to have to deal with anything unpleasant!!!”

            Like taking care of her own kids.

      2. I think that you are 100% right.

   2. Shopping.

      1. Shopping, hairdresser, going to salon for grooming (leg waxing, fake tan, etc.), exercising hours a day, more shopping.

4. Good to see Bea out doing something other than vacationing. It figures it would take the Queen issuing a command to make Princess Bea actually work, but I’m sure another “break” is in the works to recover from the stress of attending this one event. By the way, the Queen looks so elegant, I love the hat!!

   Gosh, Zara and Mike look like a couple that really enjoys each other and doesn’t mind getting a little goofy. I would love to hang out with them sometime, so much more than you know who. I hope Zara will be able to compete in the next Olympics in Brazil, she has spoken about how much that would mean to her and I hope it happens.

   My goodness Harry just seems to get more and more handsome!!! I hope someday he can find personal happiness and love, someone to share his life with and build a family with, someone whose mother lives far, far away 🙂 I’ve pointed him out time and again to my daughter but she just isn’t interested, Darn!! Now, if likes older women….. I’m sure Mr. from Ca. wouldn’t mind too much 🙂

   1. I really like this hat on HM. It’s a different style to what she usually wears.

      I think it’s interesting that William and Harry are the opposite of each other in terms of aging and their looks. William was so handsome when he was younger, and as he has aged his looks have just fallen off. Harry was not as handsome when he was younger, and as he has aged he has gotten more handsome.

      Maybe you can set up a schedule for rotation with Harry and Mr. from Ca, I’m sure they won’t mind 🙂

      1. Well, Mr. from Ca., works away from home on a two weeks on/two weeks off schedule, so as long as Harry can fly over every two weeks we are good to go. You know, maybe I won’t even worry Mr. from Ca. about this and just get it set up 🙂

         I agree that Harry has gotten better with age, when he was younger Wills was the more handsome of the two but now Harry wins by a long shot.

   2. Agree with every word, Lauri. And I’ll take the 2 weeks that Mr. Lauri is home!!

   3. No disrespect, Lauri, but you will have to get past me first, lol! He is adorable. When he bows that ginger head, I swoon.

      1. Lauri and Rihannon, I am afraid that you ladies are going to have to get in the line behind me. My current Hubby was a red head when he was younger. There is a fair bit of grey in there now, but Harry is just gorgeous. He has matured so much in the past few years it is like he is the older brother now. I am sure that he won’t mind an older lady either.

         1. Harumph. I can work out a schedule.

            1. Well ladies, between the 4 of us Harry is going to be one busy boy!! He better start doubling up on the vitamins 🙂

   4. You guys should work out a four week rotation. Each of you gets him for one week of the month.

5. Harry is no longer swimming in his suit, it finally fits him! He really is the best of the bunch. So charismatic and friendly.

   Shrek Tindall should wear those pants to trooping the colour or christmas and see if “one” approves! Anne, not surprisingly has been a fantastic mother. Peter and Zara and their respective spouses seem lovely.

   I am so over the lamebridges. They are pointless, pampered and petulant. Blah blah blah. Call me when they change – I won’t be holding my breath.

   1. lol Shrek Tindall.

      1. I often wonder if he has a hard time breathing out of his shnoz. More power to him for not wanting to change his look, but man it looks uncomfortable!

         1. He’s always said he’d get it fixed after his playing days are over, and they’re over aren’t they? I bet he snores like a bloody fiend with that septum!

            1. I remember hearing the Princess Anne offered to pay for him to have his nose fixed before the wedding and he said no thanks. I actually don’t mind his nose, it’s a refreshing change from the constant “perfection” of other royals I could name. To me it’s like he’s saying this is the way I am take it or leave it. But yeah I bet he wakes up the neighborhood with his snoring 🙂

         2. I saw a straight on photo of his face and omg his nose is so far past crooked. It looks like the middle bit is trying to run off the side of his face. He has to have trouble breathing.

            1. I just found an article saying he cannot breathe out of it, and that has to breathe out of his mouth. Man, if that is true I would surely hope he gets that taken care of soon.

            2. Oh wow, I didn’t know it was that bad. I’m surprised he hasn’t already had it taken care of.

            3. I had no idea it was that bad. Hopefully he has good doctors, should he decide to have it fixed.

   2. Omg, Kip. Shrek Tindall!

6. Chas and his affection for Charlotte is getting him points with me.
   Beatrice showed up to an event where her Grandmother lit a beacon — and it’s called “work”?
   These trips abroad are so formulaic – Harry is doing everything PW and PW’s wife did.
   Completely agree about the house manager analogy – I thought the same thing. I think Carole is setting up the expectation that she will one day live at Buck Palace with everyone.
   I don’t know that you can call Princess Anne’s kids “achievers” – they both live on her estate and are spoiled rotten. THEY are living the dream that PW and PW’s wife want to live. Privledged without anyone playing attention to them.

   1. Pluss didn’t they just advertise and hire a new housekeeper there?

      1. Should we have a poll on how long the new housekeeper stays? Just kidding – sort of.

         1. I wonder why the London Housekeeper/cook isn’t going. It’s not like she’ll have anything to do if they aren’t living in KP, right?

            1. I have frequently wondered the same thing myself. If W&K are going to be at AH and not KP for the next several years what is the Italian housekeeper doing? Maybe she went with them to AH, but they are finding that they need a second housekeeper as well. I mean, with 10 rooms to clean, meals to cook, laundry to wash, dry, iron, fold and put up, walking the dog, helping with the babies, they might need a second person.

            2. I wonder what ALL the employees are suppose to be doing while PW and PW’s wife are retreating to the country. Besides arranging Wimbledon tickets.

            3. I think the DM article said most of the employees are transferring from KP to AH.

   2. Will and Kate did not visit the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, though they did visit a number of war memorials while in NZ and Oz. Harry’s NZ schedule has different stuff than W&Ks did. Harry is doing lots of military stuff, some conservation work, sports stuff, meeting students. I feel like W&Ks trip as much more fluffy than Harry’s is scheduled to be.

      For sure Zara and Peter have the life Will wishes he had. The royal perks without the responsibility. Even Eugenie and Bea have more of the life Will wants.

7. – Glad man-child William is so in love with Carole and so dependent on her everyday presence and intrusion. I would probably punch my mother-in-law.

   I looked at the article about Carole, couldn’t manage to read it, other than the headlines, but looking at the pictures: even Michael Middleton dresses better than William. He should learn from Mr. Middleton.

   – Happy for Prince Charles, but “… someone to look after me when I am very old.” 😕 Uh? ok? 😛 lol

   – Harry is most definitely the likeable royal. Wish he would be king…. maybe…
   The girl with the “won’t kiss you sign” was great 😀

   – The Queen looks great in that coat + hat! She always dresses so granny-like, this outfit was a nice change.

   Bea :S ugh! poor Bea. Always unfortunate/bad pictures 🙁

   – Mike and Zara … can’t say I’m rooting for that couple. They look great and happy as a couple, but I get the feeling they know how to exploit her royal connections quite well.

   I guess Princess Anne was wise when she chose no royal titles for her kids. Like LadyBlueRibbon mentions above, all the perks no scrutiny/attention on them.

   1. Yeah the “look after me when I’m old” thing doesn’t compute with me. 1) The idea of children being forced to take care of the elderly does not sit well with me (due to my own experiences with an abusive, demanding parent); 2) Why would Charlotte be the one having to fill the role of taking care of him when he’s old? He can’t hire someone for that? And what about Will and Kate, or even George?

      “I get the feeling they know how to exploit her royal connections quite well” Yes. This. They don’t do it all the time (like, we don’t hear about them as often as say the Middletons), but they sure as hell exploit their royal connection when they need to.

      1. Maybe he sees Anne, Zara, and Autumn doting on Prince Philip, and wants something like that for himself?

         I remember reading that Zara was the first one to be really physically affectionate in the BRF. You can see it in lots of photos. She’s always hugging and kissing family members, even at formal events. Charles strikes me as someone who longs for that kind of easy physical affection, which I’d bet he gets from Harry and Zara.

         Zara and Charles

         http://www1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Zara+Phillips+Prince+Charles+Royal+Ascot+2008+4aYfwv9YpQSl.jpg

         http://www1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Zara+Phillips+Prince+Charles+Royal+Ascot+2008+B57G_5Bb60Nl.jpg

         http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/12/25/article-1238323-07B2E7BA000005DC-657_634x431.jpg

         http://f.tqn.com/y/gouk/1/S/v/b/-/-/CharlsnZara.jpg

         bonus, Zara and Harry

         http://www.supervphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/zara-phillips-wedding-pic.jpg

         1. These photos are wonderful to see! Thanks for sharing My2Pence!

      2. Not sure my other post will get through because of all the links. Think Matthew (and Marilla) Cuthbert transformed by the uncomplicated love and easy physical affection of Anne in Anne of Green Gables.

         That may be what Charles longs for; the simple, uncomplicated affection of a daughter or granddaughter (until they grow up and make you tear your hair out). The kind of stereotypical female softness he may have experienced from his grandmother but not his mother.

      3. I think that the “look after me when I’m old” is just a translation for a little girl who loves him.

         1. Yeah bluahre, I think it was meant to be teasing. When my kids were little I told them that they would be responsible for buying me a nice house and paying for luxury vacations, of course they both knew I was teasing and that’s how I took Charles’ comment.

            1. Yeah, it humanizes him to see him so besotted doesn’t it?

            2. The joke is he will be King when he is an old man… unlike his father, Phillip. I think he’s looking forward to sharing his more artistic and gardening side with someone – you don’t get the sense that either William or Harry developed any personal interests beyond military, sports, hunting, conservation and video games.

            3. Harry is interested in gardening and he is artistic (probably not nearly to the extent of his father.) There seems to be more to Harry, besides the military and hunting.

               As for william. His private interests are probably state secrets at this point.

               Charles was always making these types of comments after baby #1. He knows talking is good pr. It remains to be seen if he’ll have a close relationship with either grandchild.

            4. Harry does some gardening and he does some photography as well.

            5. I think the black and white photos in this gallery are Harry’s.

               http://sentebale.org/prince-harry-shares-photos-from-trip-to-lesotho/

            6. The photos without Harry in them are the ones he took – so yes, the B&W ones.

         2. My2 and bluhare, I think you both summed it up perfectly.

   2. Wasn’t Charles really close with his grandmother, the Queen Mum? He maybe meant it something like having a close relationship with his grandchild, where she will come over for tea and such. Although, I agree that the wording is a bit funny.

      1. Charles was indeed close to the Queen Mother and might be hoping that his own relationship with Charlotte will emulate that. I have a feeling that Charles is so besotted and over the moon with his granddaughter that this is how he’s expressing his delight. I doubt very much he expects her to be his caregiver in his dotage, although I’m sure he’d love frequent visits from her. He probably wants the femininity of a charming little girl around him that he didn’t get to experience as the father of a daughter. He’s an old softie, I’ll bet, and I’m sure Charlotte will have her granddad wrapped around her finger. But just as a precaution, Charlotte as the spare should make something of her own life and follow her own interests, education and pursuits lest she fall into the trap of an aimless lifestyle that doesn’t make use of any particular talent or skill she could develop.

         1. I think that Charles has longed for affection for years and years and he gets it with Zara and Harry. I am sure that it is also the appeal of Camilla and although I adored Diana, she and Charles were not well suited at all .

            Charles was starved of affection as a child and he loves getting it now and I am sure that he thinks that his grand daughter will be able to give him this…..If Ma Mids doesn’t get her hands on her first

            1. It may be one more thing Charles resents about Andrew — he has two daughters.

            2. I should have scrolled down, Tanya. That’s what I think too.

8. Mike Tindall, only a women completely in love could love that face…good for Zara. I think PH is staying far away from WWIII…PC vs Carole. HM is staying out of it to, this is Charles’s war and his respondsibility to the throne. Carole, has dug in and refuses to go away. KMR I agree with the house manager. Kate has 2 homes to run and organize so she needs the help… It’s called being privelaged and not “normal”
   The job isn’t for Carole. She should accept her position as Mother, Mother-in-Law and Grandmother. It’s as if she is saying to herself “I waited 10 years for this and I’m not letting something called “royal protocol or my daughter’s growth” get in my way.” “I am the future Queen (I mean Catherine) is the future Queen of GB, and if you don’t believe me you will feel the wrath of Carole Middleton!!!!” I don’t have the frozen song in my head I have the Katy Perry song Roar in hy head!

   1. Exactly. A house manager is fine, but the position is not Carole’s to fill.

      “I waited 10 years for this and I’m not letting my daughter’s self growth get in my way! I am the future Queen, I mean Catherine, is the future Queen of GB, and if you don’t believe me you will feel the wrath of Carole Middleton!”

      lol, I can totally see Carole thinking that.

   2. Agree about Tindall’s face, but have you seen him from the neck down? You could bounce coins off his bum.

      1. I’ve got a quarter, wink, wink 🙂

         1. You try it on Mike Lauri and I will try it on Harry, I have a feeling that his bum might bounce coins too!

   3. Every other royal household seems to manage without an on-site in-law. HIRE A PROFESSIONAL! It makes perfect sense for a mother to help her daughter with a new baby, but it does not make sense for her to also be the housekeeper. Kate is in her 30s and is a college graduate. Are we really to believe that with the help of the entire royal establishment, she can’t find someone to manage her properties and households??? Or perhaps scarole is creating a problem and promoting herself as the only solution.

      1. Or as a few of us here believe, they don’t want a lot of people from outside to realize that they aren’t living the fairy tale life they want us to believe they are.

9. Love this new format for Royal Roundups, KMR.
   Ah, Prince Harry. How magnificent you are. Just as my little one says, he is Prince Wonderful!
   What an amazing man Harry is and how handsome and secure he has become. Just perfect, actually.
   The Carole Middleton story in the DM is too much. I simply cannot stand it if Carole stays on board with her daughter and PW. How sick is that?

   Mike Middleton should be getting quite tired of his wife’s ways. Someone needs to set her straight, but I doubt he’s the person to do it.

   Sorry, Zara’s shorts did not set well with me. I actually thought her outfit was tasteless. Autumn looked far nicer.

   And, Prince Charles’ remark about having a granddaughter to look after him in his old age was not exactly something to be applauded. I am from a family where all members have always shared in the taking care of elderly ones and it is done with love and great interest. Yet, to expect one person to do it all, no, no, no! And, let’s be real, PC, you will never need anyone in the family to care for you. Isn’t care by others outside the family a built-in aspect of being Royal?

   Charlotte, you marry a Yank and move here to the States when you are older.. Run as far away as you can from all that is going to be expected of you. Run, Charlotte, Run! Once you’ve gotten the hang of the crawling and toddling, that is.
   So much to learn! But, so much time to do so.

   1. I feel badly for what Charlotte will have to endure in the years to come. I just hope she has a strong personality, finds her own interests, and pursues them. She needs to find a place for herself and a purpose to her life. If not, she will get into all sorts of trouble. And the press will be right there waiting to point out all her flaws.

10. Now I know why Anmer Hall has two kitchens. One for Carole to run and one for the Duchess to warm up the baby bottes for her Princess Charlotte??? Should have been 2 kitchens Carole???

    I love QEII’s grey outfit. It shone through in the night which is the reason why you should not wear black as did P Beatrice. I am not crazy about shorts with high heels and Autumn I can’t explain myself….

11. So, should we start calling Carole Will and Kate’s momager?

    1. LOL! ABSOLUTELY!!!! lmbo!

    2. Just like Kris Jenner!!

       1. My daughter showed me where Kris Jenner had reposted an article about herself titled “Where would the Kardashians be Without Kris Jenner?”. A follower commented ” not burning in hell”.That was my laugh of the day!

          1. HAHAHA That’s hilarious!

    3. I nearly spat onto my iPad after reading that!

       Which means YES, absolutely!

12. I love seeing pics of HM. She is the epitome of hard work. She may not know how to effectively parent, but she has dedicated her life to service.

    Harry has my heart. He is his mother personified. I can only imagine what he could do as king of his brother were to step aside. I think that he is the key to saving the monarchy.

    Zara seems nice and Mike seems a nice enough guy to have a drink with. That nose tho…

    As far as Carole, I’m starting to think that she’s in cahoots with Pimp Mama Kris aka Kris Jenner. If the staff don’t respect Kate then they never will of this keeps up. I hate people like this. They have others do their bidding on order to keep their hands clean. I’m starting to see the movie Rebecca in my head in regards to Kate and her mom.

    1. I think that with the two Wales brothers, it’s a “one to save the monarchy, one to destroy it” type of thing. William will end up destroying the monarchy if he gets his way, and Harry will be the one to save it if they can force William to step aside.

       1. Mike looks like the hunchback of notre dame…..too mean?

          1. HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

             1. So glad you appreciate that one KMR! I think he is a dead ringer for quasi lol

13. I was thinking that Prince Charles and HM may not be intervening in this mess with William’s family because they want him to hit bottom. William pretty much always does the opposite of what they suggest so they are basically saying you made your bed, now lie in it.

    Until he wakes up and realizes what is going on around him and voluntarily reaches out for help, they aren’t going to lift a finger. He was advised not to marry her and bam, there’s a ring on it and a press conference called without anyone else consenting or knowing about it.

    It’s called tough love and unfortunately the situation he is in is eating him from the inside out. The stress levels have really affected him physically. I just hope he comes to his senses soon.

    1. He’s probably too stubborn to admit that he made a mistake.

    2. I think letting someone hit rock bottom is the best thing for them in most cases. But the problem here is that if HM and PC let PW hit rock bottom, PW will end up dragging the monarchy down with him. Above all else, the royal’s job is to ensure the monarchy survives (hence the need to provide heirs). HM and/or PC must step in in this situation or else it won’t matter what PW does because he won’t have a throne to sit on when the time comes.

14. If Kate can’t manage her own household, how can she be Queen? The Queens, while she does managerial staff, also makes decisions in the household. I really doubt Carole will still be alive when William ascend the throne. I can’t imagine Kate being capable to manage multiple estates. Why the hell is she so dependent . The only thing she seems to be good at is opening her legs.

    1. Even just on the basic human level, Kate’s world will probably fall apart when Carole is not there anymore. It will shatter like a tea cup. How will she function? No matter what I think of Kate, that isn’t something that I would wish on anyone. Kate needs to learn how to stand on her own feet and be an active participant in her own life.

       1. Kate and William lived by themselves on their college days and the years leading up to the wedding. I don’t understand the sudden dependence on Carole

          1. I thought they shared a flat with roommates in college, so they would have taken up some slack. And I’m pretty sure they probably had some staff in their “little” cottage. But that was different, lots of miles between Ma and Kate and I’m sure she was on the phone with her constantly.

    2. “The only thing she seems to be good at is opening her legs.”

       LOL

15. Love your post but…”Yesterday was the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II” is not correct.
    Actually it was the end of WWII in Europe…it was still going on in Asia.

    1. Thanks for letting me know. It’s fixed now.

16. If Kate needs a go-between with her own staff and can’t run her own household how the heck is she going to organise State Dinners?

    Are we to expect Carole to move into Sandringham and Buckingham Palace in the future then?

    1. Kate needs to stop using her mother as a crutch and fend for herself. She should take this time as Duchess of Cambridge to learn the royal ropes, learn how to do engagements, speeches, run a household, before she becomes Princess of Wales and Queen Consort when the demand on her will skyrocket.

       1. That’s definitely how I’d be using this time. In fact I wouldn’t have a child as soon as they did, because the first year of their marriage they were still in their little hide away where Kate’s only responsibilities were looking after the two of them, with the help of a part-time cleaner, writing a forward to some RAF book and a few engagements.

          I would have at taken two years, if that, once moving to Kensington Palace to make sure I had the role (engagements, speeches, managing a household, etc.) down packed.

          Instead she was at home with mom, shopping, holidaying and continually flashing us.

          I really go in between wondering if she just couldn’t be bothered, knowing she’ll get away with it, and whether she’s just not being able.

          I think this is the most honest and void of fluff description of Kate that leads me to believe perhaps she’s struggling to cope and just doesn’t have what it takes without mom’s help.

          “Despite her good looks, Kate Middleton appears to have left little impression on the academic staff at St Andrews university.

          ‘She was another girl in a pashmina,’ says one tutor candidly.

          ‘When I read about her charismatic personality — well, maybe it’s developed, but it wasn’t that obvious then.’

          Some of her fellow female students even admit to having felt slightly sorry for her. While others were having the time of their lives, Kate diligently went to lectures and seemed to put in more work than most.

          Indeed, she struck some who shared history of art seminars and tutorials with her as seeming rather shy and vulnerable. She didn’t hang around with the girls in her year — and didn’t seem to like the ones that hung around Prince William.

          Unlike many of them, Kate wasn’t a Sloane Ranger or a ‘Ya’, didn’t speak with an exaggerated upper-class accent and had no airs and graces. Most of the time, she didn’t even wear make-up.

          In short, she didn’t stand out — and this quality alone was a potent part of her allure to Prince William.”

          http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2141046/Kate-Middleton-Prince-William-realize-possible-love-just-girl.html

17. Harry is certainly winning over people here! ☺

    https://twitter.com/GovGeneralNZ

    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/live-blog-prince-harry-visits-stewart-island-6310503

    Harry with a Tuatara
    https://twitter.com/emynash/status/597181658215878656/photo/1

    1. *Swoon* Harry is lovely. Instead of locking himself up in some luxury accommodations, he attended a church service and a pub night with locals and the media(quelle horreur)!

18. The concern is Carole Middleton’s grandstanding. She so obviously is in thrall of the aristocracy and lives vicariously through her daughter and her marriage into the RF. The big problem is CM’s inability to be low key. What I believe irks people is that Carole appears too controlling and appears to be trying “too hard” to be indispensable to her daughter and her family for questionable self aggrandizement. That’s how it appears. Why is it that other RF in-laws are able to maintain relations with their children and not attract the type of attention the Middletons do? It is all rather pathetic to say the least.

    1. Carole seems like an obnoxious nuisance, but I think the media is using her as a scapegoat for some of the larger issues with the cambridge marriage.

       She has made herself a target and I doubt her husband is an innocent party in this mess.

       1. Or is someone (I’m looking at you William) throwing her under the bus like he throws his brother when it suits him?

          1. No. I think the media is starting to toy with her.
             They have built her up to be a successful business woman, adoring wife and mother. Now it’s time to take her down.
             Something tells me that she stepped on people on the way up and ruffled a lot of feathers during waity’s great wait.

             1. I think the media is attacking her as a method of addressing the real issue: the state of William and Kate’s marriage. They more they show how controlling/enabling/dominating Carole is, the more it’s being highlighted how helpless and infantile WK are under her invasive influence. And, of course, it leads to questions about how capable this couple would be as future monarchs if momma is always running the show, if they ever get to that point.

             2. I think the press are going after Carole because they are still a bit afraid to go after William and Kate directly. The press probably know a lot more than they are saying about the state of W&K’s marriage and until they are free to attack them directly, the press will attack them indirectly by attacking Carole in the way that they have.

19. I found this blog a couple of weeks ago and became addicted to it!

    Anyway, if the Queen and Prince Charles will live to be 100, like the Queen Mother, then it will take some 30 years before William will be King. So he’ll have plenty of time to learn and adjust. And hey, all monarchs can’t be as good as the current one, can they?

    Why all this criticism towards Carole? Sure she’s a social climber, but all aristocrats are descendants of people that were social climbers in their own time, so there’s no difference, just a temporal distance. Sure she’s annoying and meddling, but so far she’s been loyal and has not said anything stupid to the media. Or maybe I’m wrong?

    Of course it’s irritating to read about a couple being so pampered by all this staff and Carole, and having this lovely mansion etc, when oneself and many others struggle with combinig work and family, but isn’t this how royalty always have lived? Ok, maybe these work less, but I suppose they have an agreement about this with the Queen?

    1. Second new person trying to defend carole and w&k’s lifestyle? Is this a pattern?

       In the same vein – QE & PP are in their 90s and Prince Charles and Camilla are nearing 70. When will it be time for w&k to step up?
       If it takes william, 30 years to get his head out of his ass, there is a good chance he won’t have a throne.

       It’s like a lackluster part-time employee, making a sudden jump to the ceo’s job. Will and Kate don’t have the experience or dedication needed.

       The midds have their own pr people and/or they speak to the press themselves. Hell, they even arrange paparazzi sessions for kate and george. They are not shrinking violets by any stretch of the imagination. Carole takes some of the blame for this marriage for pressuring william into marrying kate and her lazy daughter, who is not fit for the role.

       The Queen has a box of state papers that she has reviewed every day, except christmas for 63 years. Both the queen and charles make 300+ engagements a year.
       Yes, they are pampered, but they don’t exactly sit around on their asses eating cheese toast and telling the nanny to walk the dog or feed the baby, while shirking their duties.

       Will and kate are a slowly evolving PR nightmare (it’s convenient that their new pr guy is a crisis manager!!!), I can’t imagine the BRF is thrilled with the lamebridges.

       1. Kip, please never change, I love your work!

       2. I didn’t mean to offend anyone, sorry if I did. I just tried to point some pro-Kate views for the sake of argument. I don’t know these people, and this is just entertainment, as I’m not a British taxpayer…

          There is no excuse for W and K not to work, I mean even if the QE does not want to delegate anything, for some reason or another :), they could and should still be able to find some meaningful way of contributing to society.

          But I find the Carole criticism har to buy, All emotions aside, what has she actually done to deserve it? Apart from being this annoying type of perfect mom, who always has the right stuff in her bag and the tissue out before the baby sneezes. She spends a lot of time with her daughter, but would anyone mind that if the daughter worked like Princess Anne? Who would actually care? And for manipulating the marriage, well, it’s not as she was holding W at gunpoint. W made his own choice, no one else can be blamed.

          The problem is not Carole, it’s Kate. But has anyone thought that maybe she could have a postnatal depression, a mild form of it? Or is really depressed otherwise. Carole would of course want to help, any mom would. It’s not as if the Windsors are known for their empathy.

          Or maybe she’s just the type that must learn the hard way. Time will tell.

          1. Please don’t apologize 🙂
             I only mentioned that because there have been some really unique (crazy) posts here lately. We like different perspectives.

             I don’t know if Carole is perfect, imo this family has some buried skeletons.

             Work ethic or not, don’t you find it strange that this 33 yo woman is this attached to her mother?

             Kate is the problem. Who raised her to be that way?

             It’s obvious that Kate (or william) are cut out to be public figures, but it’s hard to feel bad for her, she waited and pushed for the ring.

          2. Hi,

             Welcome to the blog.

             The Queen doesn’t delegate work, she generally allows each working royal to find and champion the causes they believe in.

             Hence Harry with the injured vets, children orphaned by AIDS, William with the homeless in London and Ps Charles with conservation, disadvantaged communities in cities and regeneration of towns (to name a few – actually does ALOT) etc.

             There are times, like when Princess Margaret died, where royals have to pick up causes that used to belong to someone else, but even then everyone gets to choose.

             Oh, and sometime Her Majesty will ask working royals to come to specific events or send them places in her place but William and Kate are LARGELY responsible for their own schedule, excepts royal events (which even those they have been skipping out on).

             They don’t work because they choose not to.

             Prince Edward will never be king but he does, so does his wife Sophie, countess of Wessex, Princess Anne, Prince Harry, the whole lot. Even the Queen’s cousins, because there are so many events.

          3. Some good points about possible depression – I think we’ve just never seen Kate work or do anything charitable (in the decade she spent waiting for William to pop the question), all we’ve known her to do go on holidays, shop and the one thing she was doing for herself, the rowing competition) she quit when William got back with her. She’s shown to be capable in school and uni so it just looks like she’s not bothering to do much – beside holidaying (skipping events and lying about it), shopping and hiring nannies and lying about it.

             If it didn’t look like she couldn’t be bothered and her and William stopped lying about what they were up to people wouldn’t be so fed up.

    2. Welcome Emilia!!

       The criticism toward Carole, from me at least, has nothing to do with “social climbing” on it’s own. If she worked hard to build a multi-million dollar business then she deserves everything she gets and deserves to live the high life now. I’m American, I’m all for people working hard to better their lives and economic standing. For me, the criticism comes from the fact that Carole seemingly pimped out her daughter because Carole is insecure with her social standing (she’s not content with being a self-made millionaire). The criticism also comes from the fact that Carole and Kate seemingly have a codependent relationship which I do not think is a good thing.

20. Kip you say it very well! Halia

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