200 thoughts on “Peter Phillips charging £150/person for street party for Queen’s 90th b-day + Prince Harry partying (update)”

1. Can’t stand the phrase “bunga bunga.” Urgh. I was never much of a clubber, though! It amazes me how insular the young upper class/aristo/monied British scene seems to be. It’s not like I’m an expert, so I could be wrong, but it doesn’t seem like they mix very much with the rest of Europe on a social level. Anyone know more about this?

   I’m not a huge fan of the BRF, but I’ve studied enough history to know that they used to be way more connected to other royal houses.

   I agree with you, leave attending the charity up to the individual staff.

   KMR, have you seen the trailer for the new Netflix series about QEII and Prince Philip, et al?

   1. I have seen that trailer. Philip looks like a d-ck. As much as I hated Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor on Doctor Who, he still played The Doctor so I want to see the series just because of that. I’m actually looking forward to the series; it looks like they threw a lot of money at it, so hopefully it will be good.

      1. Never watched Doctor Who, or heard of Matt Smith, but like you said, it looks like they put a lot of money into it and the actress playing Elizabeth, Claire Foy, was great in Wolf Hall.

      2. Doctor who with Matt Smith is bearable. Karen Gillan as ‘Amy’ and then Jenna Coleman as ‘Clara’, are good characters and the actresses are good at the parts. A cousin of mine knows someone who went to school with Jenna Coleman. Have to catch up with Doctor who myself on DVD. Mostly because I cook when its on.

         1. I think Matt Smith was a terrible Doctor, and Amy was the worst companion. Clara was okay the first half season she was on but then got really stupid. Rory was good in his first season – he had a great character arc – but he got less good as the seasons went on. David Tennant was the best Doctor. I think Peter Capaldi is good.

            1. KMR I love you. Around here everyone I know who is into Who loves loves loves Amy and Matt Smith and I’m like NO NO NO TENNANT TENNANT TENNANT AND DONNA.

               Ahem.

            2. Make that three of us! David Tennant is by far the best.

            3. If you guys like David Tenant, go over to you tube and do a search for David Tennant reading romantic poetry. That accent! I swoon.

               I don’t know him in Dr. Who. Thought he was great in Broadchurch. But my unrequited love may belong to Aidan Turner. Who also reads romantic poetry on youtube, but he seriously overdoes it for my taste. I will stick to watching him scythe or wear tiny towels. 😀

            4. Tennant is playing the villain in the new show Jessica Jones. And he is absolutely hilarious in the movie Fright Night with Colin Farrell. The plot itself is rubbish but Tennant steals the show as a Hollywood poser of a vampire hunter with a melon liquer problem.

            5. Tennant is fantastic as Kilgrave; he was my favorite character on that show and ended up being the character I was rooting for to win. I didn’t think the show overall was as amazing as a lot of people said it was. Jessica Jones, the character, was not fun to watch and didn’t have any redeeming qualities, in my opinion. She was supremely unlikable and not fun to watch. Tennant was great, though.

               I’ve never seen Fright Night. I’ll have to check that out.

            6. I’k ok with a main character being less than sympathetic – as long as the character is compelx and interesting.

               You should definitely look up Fright Night – Tennant is just so much fun in that one.

2. sigh…..just when Harry has gotten all of this great press in the media, pictures and stories like this come out and like LizB, I too don’t like the phrase “bunga bunga”. For some odd reason, I have images of women walking around as waitresses with a tray in their hand and breasts being exposed (don’t ask) when I hear that phrase. His eyes definitely look squinty due to the flashing of the cameras, which appear to be right in his face. I’m surprised he didn’t punch someone out. I know I would’ve. I don’t know how he can keep drinking like this at 31 ’cause he’s gonna be nursing a serious hangover in the morning. Harry’s liver has my condolences but not Harry himself.

   As for HM’s party and the fact that her grandson is forming it? I really don’t mind that part. I think it’s rather sweet and it gives it a personal touch. Also, it’s perfectly fine to me that he’s being paid since it isn’t “Peter-the grandson” who’s doing the behind the scenes things it’s “Peter-the employee of SEL” which makes sense in my weird mind.

   The price that they’re charging people from the charities to attend? It does seem a bit much, I admit, but (hopefully) they’ll be shelling out a wide variety of food and have “special little touches” to justify the price. Like KMR said, it’ll be an individual choice whether or not so-and-so wants to attend.

   One more random thing: when I saw Peter in that top hat, I saw a very striking resemblance between himself and William–wow!! Those Windsor genes really are strong!!

   P.S. Guest editing the Huff Post UK? Interesting….

   1. If Kate wanted to be taken seriously, one would think she would have chosen a more serious news outlet.

      I don’t actually know what “bunga bunga” means.

      1. Right?? Perhaps the BBC or the Telegraph!

         I don’t know what “bunga bunga” means either. I’m just saying that that’s what enters my mind when I hear it (yes, I’m weird and I’m proud to admit it 😉 ).

      2. Bunga bunga doesn’t really “mean” anything, but recently it’s associated with the orgies/sex parties of the disgraced Italian Prime Minister (his bunga bunga parties became famous) and implies “African” connections to naked women and male spectators and well… I take it to be racist and sexist.

         1. So I was right! Hahahaha! 😀

            Well, semi-right. 😉

            1. Bunga Bunga is a karaoke bar and pizzeria these days.

            2. That’s so funny! Who’s trying to make Harry look bad? He went for pizza notto go clubbing!

         2. Exactly! What a tacky name for a club, even more so for a club for british royals and supposedly high class youth! I’m not against Harry partying, of course he can go to parties and enjoy his single life but I don’t think anyone even slightly known in Europe would like to be associated with this name after the scandals of the disgraced Italian prime minister. I think Harry and the rest should have known better!

         3. Umm LizB I think you’re confusing it with the phrase of ‘Bongo Bongo Land’ (derogatory term to refer to the third world mainly Africa). ‘Bunga Bunga’ does come from the reports of Italian PM Berlusconi’s parties (read orgies) I believe.

            1. You ate correct.

            2. Supposedly, Berlusconi picked up the phrase from Muammar Gaddafi, thus the link to Africa, that’s why I associate it with that.

               I’ve also heard bongo bongo land (but only once I moved to Europe, so maybe it’s a European thing? Idk), so I’m not confusing the two. If you’re in the UK, it’s possible that there are different links to that phrase, depending on the country/culture.

      3. In the Malay language ” bunga” means flower.

      4. I remember hearing the phrase on old Looney Tunes cartoons from the 1940’s and 1950’s. Usually Bugs Bunny or some other male character was attracted to a female character and while describing her said, “bunga, bunga” in order to underline how attractive he found her. I don’t know if it has any other meanings.

   2. To be fair Harry left the party at 10:30, I think he’s eyes are squinty because of the flashes. At one point he was shielding his eyes, again most likely because of the flash, which is understandable given how close and a bit “in your face” the photos seem to be. I don’t see anything wrong with him having a night out on the town, furthermore attending a birthday party, most of us get to enjoy that. And it’s not like he’s falling out clubs 🙂 party prince no-more you guys.

      1. A single man gets to go out once in a while. It isn’t like he’s there a lot. Even married couples can slip out together or with their friends. A tempest in a teacup in the press.

      2. Agreed Gie.

      3. Agreed. It also looked dark inside the club. The shock of the camera flashes was probably intense.

   3. I think Peter and Zara are probably the best looking of the Queens grandchildren.

      1. William (early years) and Louise (now) I’d say.

   4. Firstly, Harry went out to dinner NOT clubbing. He left at 10.30pm. He wasn’t drunk nor did he look drunk. His eyes are squinty because of the flashes. All the party guests were clocked going home by 11.00pm, including the birthday girl.

      Secondly, ‘Bunga, Bunga’ is a pizzeria in Battersea, London. Yes, it has a late licence because it runs a very popular karoake bar as well as being a pizzeria, but again, it’s not a club.

      Finally, the term ‘Bunga Bunga’ is associated with ex-prime minister of Italy’s villa which he gave that name. He had lots of sex parties and orgies. It became tabloid short hand when the scandal of his corruption and behaviour was front page news.

      Charlie Gilkes, the owner of ‘Bunga Bunga’ bar in London likes to name his establishments with names of polarising figures or scandals. It’s supposed to be a wink. As an exmple, he has a bar named Maggie’s, after Margaret Thatcher. When he opened ‘Bunga Bunga’ everyone immediately knew he was winking at Berlesconi.

      This term isn’t associated with racism at all in Britain.

      However, only Berlesconi can explain why he named his villa Bunga Bunga and what that means in Italian.

      Pretty sure that Tony Blair, a man very careful of his own image, wouldn’t have stayed at a villa called Bunga Bunga if there was a whiff of racism to the name. He was/is very media savvy, even now we know his misdeeds.

3. Richard Palmer & Emily Andrews have already got stuck into Kate about the Huff Post stint

   1. Very much. Refreshing. And now the same papers are going ballistic over the Queen’s party

4. Harry’s party night lasted until half past ten according to reports (who got their info from paps). He really lives up to his name these days. 😉

5. *sigh*
   Looks like Jason’s working his contacts…
   William’s photographed back at work, Kate’s guest editing on a website and Harry, who has been steadily working away gets photographed leaving a party for a friend.
   I think that with all the good work Harry has been doing he has earnt a night out with friends. (I am thinking that the person who wrote this article about Harry must be missing News of the World?)
   Charity dinners all over the world raise money by selling seats or a table so I don’t think this is anything new. I do think it’s a great idea to get all those different charities together in one place, they could find mutual goals etc?
   I wouldn’t want to be Peter Philips at the moment , his name is on this event. So if it turns to custard them it’s on his head! I wish him lots of luck, and good weather !
   As for people buying seats? Let’s just see who is looking to buy? Mmmmmmm?

   1. I think Harry’s partying can be forgiven because it wasn’t like he was partying on a Wednesday night just to party on a Wednesday night; he was at a birthday party for a friend.

      Re Charity dinners selling seats: This is different. Charity dinners sell seats and use the money to cover the cost of the dinner and then the rest goes to the charity. For this event, the charities are buying the tickets and the money is going to fund the lunch. Unless the charities sell their tickets for more money, they are not receiving money, from what I understand.

      1. What is wrong with partying? Must everyone sit at home and play scrabble?

   2. +1.
      If this is supposed to be a swipe at Harry or if his head is being offered because British sentiment is irritated at the royals for being seen as lazy, spoiled profiteers while the public is struggling, he’s got a lot of love on the other side of the pond. Harry’s welcome here any day with open arms, and he’d be a great state senator or charity head, etc. At least he could make his own way and not be used as a whipping boy for Will’s lack of involvement.

      1. I totally agree Sunny. Nevertheless as we have commented above he should not be associated with bunga bunga sexist implication which is exactly why the bad press picked it with the title “Harry’s Bunga Bunga girls”.

         But as others have said, bad press for Harry/good press for William: I think this will ultimately be the story of the life of any royal spare, especially if the heir happens to be inconsistent and immature William.

   3. I’d like to know what guest editing entails. Just giving one’s name to the issue for a day?
      I doubt Kate will be editing any of the work being written by others. Nor, will she be writing anything herself. So, big deal, yes?

      I do think she is semi serious about the mental health issues for children, but guest editing — unless it actually entails some work, isn’t work? Or, is it? According to Kate.

      1. Most likely it will be Tash and Jason doing the editing. The same with organizing the charity press conference at KP. Beyond choosing a color scheme and the room, I don’t see Kate following through. (Yes, my opinion of her work ethic is that low.)

         1. Who’s Tash?

            1. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2872288/Blonde-got-Kate-flash-bit-leg-rest-team-ve-honed-image.html

            2. Who is Jason…a PR person?

            3. Jason Knauf is W&Ks communications secretary.

         2. I doubt Tash will do anything. It would be more likely to be Rebecca Deacon.

            1. That article is enlightening! I had no idea how many people go into making Kate ‘Kate’.

6. Could someone explain what guest editing is?

   1. A day as ‘guest editor’ wouldn’t even touch the sides of what the job actually entails. A guest editor is invited because of her/his reputation and knowledge of a specific topic or field, who can oversee the content of the issue and write the foreword. She/he would issue a ‘call for papers’ and be involved in the selection of articles chosen. Or articles from specific writers could be commissioned. Editing also involves working with writers to make sure there are no inconsistencies in texts, working through various drafts and so on. There are a number of other tasks but they are unlikely to apply in this case.

      Kate may be asked to help select the final articles that have been chosen by Huff Post. But given it’s a day’s work, I’d say the bulk of work will be done by an experienced editor/staff and she will come in for day’s meeting to be updated on the process and give a final approval of articles chosen. If Kate pens the foreword – and a guest editor would do that – it would take additional time, as would be the reading of manuscripts.

      1. Thanks Jen for such a great explanation!!

      2. Thanks for explaining. Based on that what qualify’s Kate to do guest editing? She has no journalist experience and apart from being giving a few sound bites and releasing a few statements (all no doubt written by Jason or some other staff member) what expertise does she have in relation to mental health?

         I’m expecting a lot of use of the word “Keen”. Several mentions of William, George & Charlotte. And perhaps an emoji at the end just to make sure that her manic facial expressions come across in print!!

         1. I bet Tash or Jason will ask Kate for her general thoughts on the issue of mental health and then, write the forward for her.

      3. Sorry, Jen, just read your comment after posting mine. I stand by mine, however. I sincerely doubt Kate will do much. So be it.

         1. Oh, Mary Elizabeth, I have no doubt that Kate will be a guest editor in name only. Lauri from CA asked what a guest editor was; now, how would they fit all that into the ‘one day’ allocated for the task? As Lauri reminded us, her work day consists of a one hour block of time. Other people will do the work and Kate will approve all decisions made. I don’t know why this woman’s ego needs to be propped up so much. I really don’t.

            1. Thanks, Jen. Your explanation of guest editing was a solid one.
               How nice that Kate can be a “guest editor” without doing any or much work.

            2. I would imagine because she knows deep inside that she is woefully unprepared for her role and position in the BRF.

   2. I’m not sure. I don’t know what Kate will actually be doing other than lending her name. It’s not like she can actually edit leading mental health experts’ writing.

      1. but KMR, weren’t we told that kate reads scientific papers and journals so she’s well versed and knowledgeable? Okay I’ll go sit in the time out corner with my coffee now.

         1. +1

         2. +1

      2. I wonder if the HuffPost is aware that Kate’s “work” day is only 1 hour long?

         1. Haha to all these comments – has the plan backfired already to make her look good. If she had editing experience from an actual job in the past I might actually think she was going to work. This is PR and frankly it isn’t good PR.(IMO!!)

            1. You know what’s interesting Birdy? Kate had a job at Jigsaw before she married Will (I know they said she wasn’t a close friend but she did work for them in some capacity). Why doesn’t she collaborate with them again? She should be like a duck to water and shut everyone up with her skills. Unless it was a nothing job to make her look like she wasn’t a complete vamp on the make for Will.

            2. Sunny I think the Jigsaw job was a result of HM suggesting that Kate do some kind of work or something with a charity and I believe Carole assisted in her getting this “job”. She wasn’t there very long and when she was apparently she didn’t do very much. If I’m wrong, please correct me. 🙂

            3. No Lisa, you’re right, and that’s what I was getting at. If KP is trying to position her as having a working woman background, she should be able to pick that up again or touch on her old contacts for charity support etc. But she doesn’t, so this line of buttressing up Kate irritates me as an obvious ploy to make her seem more substantial.

            4. I give Jason credit for coming up with something like a guest editor spot. It gives a little variety to the grind of showing up at an appearance, waving and listening and leaving. Too bad Kate has so little work ethic and so little beyond “girlfriend” on her resume. Otherwise, we would believe that Kate is going to work. This is what happens when you make working such a low priority in your life. No one believes you when you claim to be working.

            5. Lisa: I heard she got the job at Jigsaw ’cause her parents are friends of the owners of it. She ‘worked’ there as a buyer (part-time of course)…until she quit the day that William dumped her (2007).

            6. India and R; exactly. The media bull that has been spewed trying to create an image of Kate as a *working* woman so thereby more relatable so that she can start building a larger support/interest base isn’t going to go anywhere unless people are completely mindless. Kate needs to stick to hosting events for her charities or having substantial conversations that she actually takes part in if she wants to start being taken more serious.

            7. I’m not sure Jason is doing the Cambs many favors. He’s done several things that have backfired (the letter last August, now this), and the more he insists on using social media as the only form of releasing photos (taken by Kate) the more he angers the press and photographers. I think a lot of Jason’s ideas are backfiring and/or will blow up in his and the Cambs face soon.

            8. KMR, do you think it is all Jason’s doing or is he heavily influenced by “suggestions/demands” by W&k? While they don’t like to work, they do have egos. Especially William.

               I can see Jason floating the idea of doing a guest editor assignment as a way of trying to show her attachment to the mental health sector. HuffPostUK was probably the only publication that would bite. Kate’s been a patron to various organizations for about 4 1/2 years now? And the mental health one is the first that she’s had multiple engagements with. Jason is trying to make something stick to her so that if people say Kate they associate something other than dress fly-ups, hair twirling and inane gurning to her name.

            9. What’s worse Lisa is that she’s already getting credited for taking an active role and people “are waiting to read her publications” when it is other professionals that will be writing the pieces. Just like the Lovers Knot tiara, Kate is riffing off of others hard work, talent, prestige to up her own credibility. I’m sorry to be negative because I’m a very positive person, but this kind of behavioral choice is disappointing. Trying to fast-track Kate with false bonafides that she gets only because of position is not fixing the problem of Kate’s lack of participation, noteworthy speeches (or even a speech), and never-ending *learning tour* that nets nothing. We’ll see how the publications come out and how much focus is using the DOC name or royal bootlicking and how much really is core focus on a serious issue.

         2. **chuckle** Too true!

      3. Stalking a man for years, single white female-ing her long deceased MIL, dressing her son in his fathers clothes, reclusive living, obsessive & excessive spending, severe dependence on her mother – maybe she thinks that qualifies her as an expert in mental health?

         Although all joking aside any form of mental health is not to joked about and if Kate’s involvement highlights this more then well done to her. I just don’t like that she’s been treated as an expert in the field over people who have studied and worked in this area.

         1. We could add mean girling her future husbands female cousins and flashing her bits to attract men and gain popularity to the list.

            I just had a thought. Kate used to flash her bits out of her window at Marlborough for popularity. Then, she did it to get William’s attention. Finally, she tried it on the public. The public were the only group who wasn’t impressed and demanded she stop. Poor Kate. (sarcasm) The best weapon in her arsenal is useless and she has to use her brain and compassion for people who can’t do anything for her to win the day. Girlfriend has to fight using her weak arm now. No flashing and she has a hard time feeling anything for people who aren’t her immediate family or can’t do anything to advance them.

            No wonder this one trick pony is having so much difficulty adjusting to her public role.

            1. the thing is her physical appearance is gone, she cant flash now, thats why she looks soo frustrated no flashing, no work ethics, she will use her kids to the maximum, shes now the supermom/hands on mum, who cant leave her children even for an hour to do charity work (but we all know thats BS)

         2. JustMe I quiet agree! I get tired of her trying to be pushed off as an expert. She is just learning herself. It is not like she studied for mental health issues in the past and is now doing something with it. She has only really shown an ‘interest’ for 6 months. In no way is she an expert. I hate that she is being put above those who are actual professionals in the field.

            1. It’s really an insult to mental health professionals and patients alike—a double jeopardy of a parvenu pretending to be an overnight (fake) expert!

            2. Yes, it is insulting to professionals – and volunteers too – who bring so much sustained work to mental health care. I really do think Kate is delusional; the news some time ago that she reads scientific papers was met with derision as far as I can tell, or at best, embarrassed silence. I am not convinced that she has a deep commitment to mental health; to do so would see her get stuck in.

               As India pointed out, Kate’s pattern of behaviour is very clear, and it’s not pretty. Flashing your bits at horny school boys and at an equally horny teenage prince will work a treat every time, not so much with the public 15-20 years later.

         3. I’m wondering how much attention this guest editing thing will actually bring to children’s mental health. If Kate writes anything herself (or if anything is attributed to her) that article is going to be the top clicked on/read article of the day, not the articles written by experts, parents, or kids.

            1. Sadly, that’s true.

            2. Exactly, and that’s infuriating. Fluff or Kate basically reading off a pamphlet rather than something that adds to the conversation and deals with important needs. Or worse, her fluff crowds out a well-written piece by someone, either professional or personal, that could have been very helpful but never seen. I’m really trying hard not to be angry about this because this is my field, but…

7. Hmmm, I’m kind of torn about the party and the charging for tickets. On the one hand I can understand charging to help deflect the costs of the event. Security will have to be massive. On the other hand I think the charities should not have to pay to attend. If they want to limit the number of people they could have a lottery for the tickets. I don’t know, just seems off to me.

   Harry and his night out. Well, what can I say. It was a party for a friend so it’s not like he’s just stumbling out of a club in the middle of the night. And those flashes were right there in his face, there were a couple of pictures where he was definitely closing/squinting his eyes against them. It doesn’t surprise me that Tanna got the shots because James was there. Tanna has a special hot line to the Midds and James probably called him as soon as he confirmed that Harry was there.

   Kate. Guest editing the Huffington Post UK. Really. I think she will be ghost editing. I also think that anything that is printed with her name on it will have been produced by staff, not Kate. Great for furthering the mental health issue, but really. Kate. Guest editing the Huffington Post UK. Maybe she’ll start doing more of this type of thing so she won’t actually have to leave the house.

   I have seen other magazines use celebrities as guest editors. It really depends on who the guest editor is. It can be something really interesting or just fall flat. I think Angelina Jolie did this once with a publication and if I recall correctly she really featured topics that were close to her heart.

   Good luck with this assignment Kate and for the love of all that is good, please do not let Pippa and/or your mother help you with this.

   1. You know what Lisa, you’re right, I saw the Angelina Jolie pieces. I’m wondering if this is Kate’s psychological makeup. To mimic an assertive woman instead of using her own ideas and voice.

      The charities should not have to pay to attend their own event highlighting themselves IMO. However, if the charity has sizably profited from having the Queen’s patronage, maybe they would go to pay their respects along with having this latest event as a continued marketing tool. It probably generates interests and demonstrates good will so if they can figure out a way to help themselves recoup the cost, or just be willing to do this out of gratitude/esteem, I can see it.

      1. Could you give more examples of Kate mimicking assertive women?

         1. I’ll find the few I jotted during the dating years especially with Kate on the boat and the one I think Kate copied during later in the live-in phase. Not to mention the DM did a great piece of Kate SWF her mother. Some would say its vice-versa, but Carole has been dressing Kate in a similar style as herself that shows off toned legs and not just body-conscious, but body-strategic.

   2. It’s a shame the Patron’s Lunch couldn’t get more corporate sponsors for the event so they didn’t have to charge, or could have charged less.

      1. This is just a theory but what if the price was set that high to filter out…err..”less desirable” guests?

         1. Well that’s an interesting theory!

8. Harry is single; why can’t he attend a party for a friend? Certainly not a late night by anyone’s standards.

   Selling tickets to the event: they just need to be transparent about any surplus (after costs) going back to the charities eg is each charity given the same amount?

   With regard to the charities selling their allocation of tickets: I think they should be able to sell/ not sell whatever percentage of tickets that works for them. They could raise a good deal of money by raffling them, perhaps using the money raised to also subsidise a few tickets destined for staff/clients of the charity who deserve a treat.

   I hope it is a great success and lots of fun for all. Great that Peter Phillips is employed to help steer the event; the interview reveals that he is following all protocols and not pulling rank.

   1. Oops. I should have put (sarcasm) next to the last paragraph.

9. Hi Lauri.

   Guest editing is when someone takes over as editor of the paper. A better example that I can explain, is a radio 4 programme called Woman’s hour. For Comic relief, a guest editor would decide what items on the programme to include, guest to invite and say the running order of the items etc. Basically taking charge.

   1. Thanks Laura!

   2. Yes, but I’m still wondering what exactly Kate will be doing. She’s not qualified to actually be an editor.

10. Last I heard Harry is not a monk. Give the guy a break and let him party away!

    KM as guest editor (rolling my eyes). I checked the calendar and it’s not April Fools yet. Seriously, what does she know about mental illness other than stopping for an hour at her purported charities or being given a script or a prepared speech to deliver. As far as guest editing, if her skills are on par with her airhead sister, then she’s in big trouble.

    1. Agreed on the Harry part. And leaving at 10:30 doesn’t exactly make him a party animal. Also, I don’t think those women are actually his exes, no matter how many times the DM tries to insist they are.

       As for Kate, I have no words. That are positive, at least.

       1. Must have been a slow day at DM!

11. Guest editing could be a good thing–it gives people something more to think about and talk about than just showing up for an hour and looking pretty. If Kate really applies herself to it, this should be a meaningful, substantive event.

    That being said, I’ve never really thought much of the Huffington Post–in America, it’s basically a content farm at this point, and people I know have gotten their articles published there without much effort. Maybe it’s different in Britain.

    1. I think this guest editing is bull to make it look like DOC is working. Unless she’s going to show up and actually do more than “learning,” she’s totally getting an opportunity to phone it in literally and figuratively. And if I read it correctly, Kate’s going to be commissioning others to write up articles on mental health, so she’s using her title as a patron to get articles submitted. Is the BP going to care? I’m not a subject so I have no idea of people will run breathless to pick up their edition to read how the DOC’s commissioned person has submitted a thoughtful write-up. I can’t see how Kate is going to stir the pot in some way that it makes a difference. This is an important issue, and boring, useless dribble isn’t going to move things in a healthier direction. Sorry, just my take.

       1. Let me clarify what I intended: I expect Kate to apply herself to it about as much as I expect William to be delighted to see the press. In theory, this should be far more substantive–on a relative basis–than what Kate has done before, aside from maybe giving that speech last fall; after all, most of her appearances consist of grinning or nodding seriously while wearing a coat. Do I think the reality will be something meaningful? No. The fact that they’re using the Huffington Post shows how serious the stint will be and how qualified Kate is to do it.

          1. I agree. I was actually trying to post an independent thought and it posted me to your point instead so I wasn’t taking issue with anything you said. This guest spot is just stupid to me; interjecting Kate with other professionals in order to make her look like someone worthy of interest is insulting.

             1. Oh, okay! Not a problem.

12. I don’t understand this guest editing stint. I think this just another move to make her seem intelligent. Why couldn’t she just write an op-ed instead? Like Angelina Jolie did about breast cancer. It would give her a chance to tell her thoughts and what she’s learned about mental health. And why Huffington Post? What a strange choice. A leading newspaper or magazine would have given her more credibility.

    1. There’s no way she’s writing anything herself. She’s simply not qualified, I’m not trying to be mean here. I would like to hear her on a talk radio show. Not crazy Howard Stern type, but some sort of public broadcasting – live (natch) and have a some call ins (screened for weirdos, of course). That would really put her in touch with the people (they’d tune in just to here what she sounds like!). Then you’d get a better measure of her personal knowledge, in discussion and a query by query basis. Tone of voice, where she hesitates, what she gets excited about etc, would all be very interesting (to me, anyway) and the press wouldn’t be distracted by her outfit and her hair.

       1. Ray, you are asking her to walk the tightrope of live broadcasting! It would be incredibly revealing and for that reason alone would never be permitted by Jason and KP. Her manufactured accent – I think KMR/ others mentioned that she still has not mastered it – would mean uncomfortable dead air, and her lack of knowledge would be a complete embarrassment. It would be like listening to, if not seeing, a train wreck.

          1. +1

       2. That would be a great idea.

          1. I doubt she could handle a call-in radio show. That’s a lot of pressure. I’ve worked in PR and the amount of work one needs to do to prepare a seasoned celebrity to speak about an issue on-air is intense. When celebs lend their names to causes, they need to do their homework and be able to speak about the cause intelligently, stressing the points the organization wants stressed in an effective way. Even the most gifted actors, need time and practice in order to sound like they really know what they are talking about. If they truly care about the cause, it makes the job a tad easier, Still, it’s a huge effort.

             Kate, at this point, would not be a good person to put on the air to speak about children’s mental health issues unless she was prepped intensely for days. And, do you honestly think that is going to happen?

             It is a great idea, but the chances of it being a successful one that would actually help the cause at this time in her life, doesn’t seem likely. She needs time to learn how to speak effectively at events — even short speeches, before she could tackle a call-in radio show. And, for goodness sake, do you think you’d find any call-screener to take the job? Wackos are pretty good about disguising their true intent before getting on a live radio show. Even, if this was taped, it would be a disaster waiting to happen.

             Maybe, Harry could do such a show? He’s much more glib. Of course, he needs to enunciate clearer.

       3. There is that sort-of-live interview she did for when her, William, and CP Mary and Fred of Denmark were promoting some UN famine aid donations thing…I think the BBC were interviewing them about it and they kept asking Kate to talk about it and she kept repeating the same phrase without actually saying anything and William seemed to be getting annoyed because he (rightly) figured they were trying to catch her out. Have to admit I lost a lot of respect for her when I watched it because she really didn’t sound like she cared about it she just wanted the glory of being seen to care, you know.

          It is on youtube somewhere.

13. Richard Palmer noted that Kate will guest editing at an online paper that shows “the sort of pap photos of celebrities and kids that she doesn’t like”. I wonder if Richard has had enough of the kool aid?

    1. He is a journalist by training (I’m guessing) and if so, respects the skills and work involved. He and other journos would just roll their eyes at the thought of Kate ‘guest editing’. The above commentary is a good snapshot of reactions so far. Let’s just pray that she doesn’t seek writing advice from Pippa and Carole…

14. Re Kate guest editing. Kate will be photographed at HQ looking concerned. She will have pics of her with the staff and reading a brief. It will be fluff. I do hope that she will be “keen” to push substantial articles.

    Harry does deserve a night out. I wouldn’t be surprised if William dropped a dime to do this. He deserves a break.

    I can truly say that I don’t one how I feel about HM’so party. In an era of austerity it is a bit much.

    Thanks for the timely review, KMR.

    1. Actually i just read that Kate and her invited journalists will be “working” out of the State Rooms at KP, so she won’t even have to leave her “private” home.

       1. Say it ain’t so, Lauri. Then she needs to work a full day. I can see from a security perspective that why this would make sense, but gosh. I just can’t.

          1. here’s the link

             http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3400992/Duchess-Cambridge-turn-Kensington-Palace-newsroom-day.html

             I thought it was rather interesting that this story seemed to be buried way down on the online front page as opposed to front and center.

             One of the commenters to this article pointed out how the Palace is having Kate “work” with American journalists as opposed to British journalists, no wonder this story was buried. I also didn’t read one comment supporting this “effort” by Kate, most were rather incredulous.

             1. I saw that too. Using the *majesty* of the royal property and Kate’s title may sell papers but it isn’t going to up her credibility with anyone.

             2. Well, you are right Lauri. The potential flak from Kate’s lack of engagements in January (so far anyway) is obliterated by the ‘guest editor’ stunt in February.

                I think KP has seized on this activity because Charles guest edited Country Life last year. But he has substantial ideas to bring about sustainable farming from decades of involvement.

             3. Good point Jen. Jason is going to learn that Kate isn’t Charles and an HRH by someone’s name doesn’t automatically make them a shoo-in to speak with authority.

       2. That is such total rubbish – how she guest edit if she doesn’t even go in to the office. Honestly this woman is really beginning to annoy me, no work ethic at all. Sorry have tried really hard to find something positive to say but today has just irritated me

15. Has the PR actually worked after all? No one is asking the obvious question….WHAT is Kate doing for the entire month of January?

    1. Prepping for her guest editor role – getting her hair done, exercising, choosing just the right coat dress for the occasion. But of course all while reading the latest scientific papers.

       1. I apologise Lisa, you are so right, I should have remembered it takes her so long to prepare for such important work.

       2. Practicing her fake concerned look to establish credibility and grasp of mental health issues.

          1. Haha.

    2. Neither Kate nor William nor Harry seem to be doing anything in January. None of them have any public appearances scheduled.

       1. Maybe K and W will be jetting off to Mustique later this month, since they need some “well earned rest” for all their hard work. It is time for both of them to accept their roles within the BRF and as hokey or dated as it sounds, one reason why the Queen, Princess Anne, Charles and Camilla are more relevant is because they all work and they also display and make known their great respect for their country and their people and you never get that feeling from William and Kate. As future King and “Queen”, William and Kate need to work that angle.

          1. Quite agree . HM ‘s schedule is very much behind the scenes too – meeting our PM every week, meeting diplomats etc , her Red Boxes with papers that need to be signed. and she is 89. Whatever anyone thinks of her she is am amazing woman. Wish Will would take the time to learn from her. This EMAA is just a bit of fun I think because he likes flying. He really needs to be relieving HM of whatever is possible. Shame on him and Kate for letting elderly grandparents put their work this to shame.

             1. Sorry work ethic

16. Kate will not do an interview with Vogue, run by a famous Brit — but will guest edit the Huffington Post, run by Euro-American mega-kajillionaire Arianna Huffington…. I’ll be damned if a mega-donation from Huffington didn’t change hands to enable this.

    1. Hopefully 100% towards charity, if that’s the case.

       1. I’m sure, and yet arrangements like that still make me queasy.

17. Ah hahahahahaha! Kate guest editing! That is the funniest thing I have heard today :). Apparently the palace does think the public is stupid and will believe this. So, I guess Rebecca will have a busy day guest editing for Kate.

    1. Hmmm, Rebecca will be busy that day 🙂

       1. Wouldn’t it be great, if Rebecca up and quit and there was nobody around to fill her shoes? Of course, that would not happen. And, poor Jason would have to fill in ASAP!

          Why I am saying “poor Jason” is beyond me. He is the one who probably came up with this idea in the first place, not realizing that thoughtful people would sense the “ghost editing” truth concerning Kate’s “job.”

          This is such a worthy cause and I do hope whomever is handling the guest editing will make certain that it’s handled in the most positive, meaningful way.

          I am going to cut the Duchess some slack until she proves me wrong .I do believe she is has a true interest in this organization, but I just hope she sticks with it and does more actual work, herself, in the future on its behalf.

          1. “If Rebecca quit…”?
             Would that mean Tash would move into Rebecca’s role?
             Yikes!
             As for poor Jason? I still think he was a Middleton appointment, not perhaps with his salary paid by Ma Middleton, but I think this way because there have been times when he has promoted Kate more than William. Even times when I feel Kate has come off looking better than William.
             This is my personal opinion only and it’s a feeling more than something I’ve read or heard.

18. Nice to have some input from Peter Phillips – you’d forget he exists because he’s not a working royal and doesn’t get stalked by the press; now’s our chance to see what he’s made of…..Not sure if asking £150 a ticket just to be in Liz’s presence is wise though, any charities that pay to attend are likely to get criticised by the press and donors. Maybe none of them will turn up? Hahaha.

    As for Kate guest-editing an actual news outlet (seriously WTF?) I wonder if this was Charles’ idea after his go doing the same at Country Life magazine last year.

    Royals playing at having jobs; makes ya sick doesn’t it?

19. As one poster said about having nothing good or positive to say about Kate’s latest “adventure”, put me in that category as well, please. Regarding Harry, I don’t see anything wrong with him going out and calling it a night at 10:30 p.m. We all deserve to have a good time now and then. The money being charged to gain admittance to H.M.’s party does seem like a lot, but people are free to spend whatever they want and it might mean a great deal for some to attend.

20. I hate to sound miserable however the charities all together for the first time to honour the Queen and show the world how involved the royals are? To make them pay for their attendance to honour the Queen seems slightly odd. To honour the charities for their great work with the Queens patronage would have made more sense to me.
    Perhaps funded by, in part, companies who could use the Queen’s seal for a period of time in return and of course there are the garden parties so the Palace kitchens could have become involved.The live “carnival style” entertainment with a colorful procession of entertainers” could have given their time in exchange for the prestige as it is a one off .
    The Government could have been involved too. Their ability to spend taxpayers money on refurbishing various crown buildings at the drop of a hat is well known.

    Quote- ‘On what the Queen thinks about the event: “She is really excited by this – she thinks it is a great idea. She loves the fact that all of these organisations are going to be brought together for the first time.”

    Perhaps I am a sourpuss though. As for Harry and Kate, he needs his down time, surely she has to see the irony considering her and Williams intense dislike of the media.
    Oh, it probably has been discussed by you guys before now but I noticed Kate does not seem to be allowed to do anything by herself. He work is often behind the scenes where anyone could have done the actual work, such as this editing job, or she is with someone else.
    Does she suffer from stage fright or has she developed no real understanding of what is required due to her not having really spent much time in the working world?

21. Guest editing is fairly normal practice for celebrities and athletes but I think it is crossing a line for Kate to do it, given how antsy she and William have been about privacy. I think it is an incredibly ill-advised thing to do. But that is no surprise because their team seem to give them all sorts of odd advice. But this to me takes the cake.

    1. +1 and with the Huffington Post which is well known for celebrity gossip and pap photos. I am staggered and frankly disappointed that they are getting such poor advice or simply making such poor decisions. When are they going to grow up? They are in their 30’s now.

22. I agree, Ruby. But, maybe we should allow them the opportunity to have their cake and eat it, too!

23. I just re-watched Kate’s speech about mental health and how lucky she was to have loving parents. Forgive me if I’m wrong but I felt that she insinuating that bad parenting is at the root of mental health issues. I thought that was disproved some time ago, that the cause of mental health issues is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Of course, those who were/are abused or neglected by their parents certainly can suffer from various issues as they mature, issues that need serious therapy to resolve. I guess my question is, Does Kate really know what she’s talking about, are mental health problems caused by poor parenting or did she throw hundreds of loving and caring parents under the bus? While I grew up with mentally ill parents I am certainly no expert in this field and would love to get other opinions on this.

    1. I agree Lauri, that’s what I got from that speech too and it didn’t correlate at all. Parenting is important to how mental illness is cared for with parents needing to handle their own stresses along with implementing a comprehensive plan for home that can translate to school. It’s incredibly challenging. The absence of loving parents does not make people mentally ill. Exacerbate yes.

24. I guess I think we should see how it goes. I agree that she probably won’t be doing much of the work — her staff will solicit and the reporters of HPUK will put it together. Her role will be to give feedback and probably not much else. However, I think it’s an intriguing idea. Why not try to do something about a cause (that I truly hope is not just another vanity project) that can reach a whole lot of people in one day? The key will be what they choose to focus on — after all children’s mental health encompasses a lot of area — and the direction they take with it. I guess I’m willing to hold off on the complaints until it happens. If it’s another half-assed project, then I don’t know why they even bother.

    But I agree that they definitely should have chosen a British owned entity to be the frontman on this. HuffPo is a US company. They may have a UK site, but that’s all it is. A site with British staff to run it. It would have been better to choose a British owned entity to host the day instead of snubbing their noses at them. There would have been a lot of good will created if they had. Jason blew it on this one.

    1. I agree about waiting to see how it goes. I’m hoping that the articles written by the professionals, kids, and parents actually get read. My biggest concern is that if Kate writes an article the press (and public) will only focus on what she wrote and will ignore the other works. Though I agree the HuffPoUk was an odd choice of publication. One would think they would have chosen a more serious news outlet, and, as you said, a U.K. run one.

       I’m just hoping the mid-February guest editing isn’t Kate’s first engagement of the year.

       1. I couldn’t agree more about the engagements. I think the royal family generally doesn’t do much in January (same with August), but they should put things on the calendar!!

          You know what really gave me pause? William got THREE WEEKS off for Christmas.

       2. We all know this is nothing more than a PR move. And as far as the HuffPo choice–the unspoken word here is that the more serious news outlets do not want to take this on and taint their credibility. Why should they?

          1. I never thought of it that way. Thanks for this perspective.

             1. You are welcome Lady Rhiannon!

          2. Revenue would be my guess. At the end of the day, it’s all about clicks and money. And doing something like that could bring in a lot of it. Doing a puff page for the DOC’s latest cause wouldn’t hurt credibility, I don’t think, especially if it is done well.

    2. I’m wondering if they didn’t approach any UK publications because they have been treating them like the dirt beneath their feet and would rather not give any of them a good story.

       After all of the scolding, threatening, not cooperating with photographers when entering engagements and completely avoiding them for publishing of photos I don’t know if there is one out there who would be willing to work with her and/or accept what are probably very stringent terms for the stint. And unfortunately it could turn into a publicity stunt.

       I too am willing to wait to see how it all airs out, but there’s a huge part of me thinking about previous acts that is telling me not to hold my breath.

       1. It seems William’s disdain for the media is limited to the UK? That’s a short sighted view, to say the least. And they could have gone a long way to getting some good will on the other end if a British media outlet had been chosen — maybe even a joint project sort of thing.

       2. I think they went with HuffPost because its U.S. they couldn’t favour one UK newspaper over another. But this again highlights to me what a weird thing this is to do. By doing this they are acknowledging the power and
          necessity of the media. Yet they only want to play on their terms.

          1. HuffPost could have been picked because that is the one where Jason has contacts?

             1. Honestly at this point Jason should be able to reach out to any publication just on the fact that he represents W&K. However, because they have basically behaved like spoiled brats and thumbed their collective noses at the British media they don’t get the cooperation they need. Journalists are a competitive bunch but they do stick together. Today it’s the British media they are blacklisting, who’s to say that tomorrow it won’t include international media as well? Their attitude isn’t earning them any Brownie points.

    3. I don’t think W&K, William in particular, really care about generating good will with the British press. Imo, he believes that the memory of his late mother protects him from any kind of press backlash. It seems to me that when William senses some bad publicity coming he trots out George dressed as he was when he was a child and everyone awws over how cute he is, how much like William he is and it’s such a shame that Diana isn’t here and how much the press hounded her, etc, etc… And poof press taken care of.

       I also read on another site that HuffPost had something on Kate that they were willing to hold if she showed them some sort of support. As I’ve seen several documentaries about the relationship between the royals and the press I’m not too surprised by this.

       1. If that is true it must have been something really good on Kate for her to agree to ‘work’ for them. Gosh, I wish we knew what it was 🙂

          1. Inquiring minds want to know!!!!

       2. The twitter conversations between the royal reporters is strongly implying that a deal was struck.

          Whether that means Huffpo has dirt on Kate or Huffpo has been brought into line to never post pap pics/write only positive puff pieces, we don’t know.

          However, for the future, we can look forward to positive puff pieces only from HUffpo.

          On a slightly different note that touches on Bluhare’s comment regarding UK media, Richard Palmer has said several times that Editors on most of British media, presumably print/news, have no time for the Cambridges and don’t think much of them.

          So it’s left to the royal reporters to really hustle to get any stories into the paper, yet are frequently undermined by KP bypassing them.

          Add royal photographers to UK media.

          I guess we shall know in 10years + (or in the event of a divorce) what dirt Huffpo had on Kate to make her do this.

          1. Any ideas, Herazeus? I must admit that the gossip monger in me is dying to know what they could have on the Perfect People’s Princess! Which is the characterization the Daily Mail is showing us today. I thought they shoved that on a bit thick, to be honest.

          2. Its known that some people do deals to keep certain stories out of the public arena by appearing in their papers. Makes sense.

       3. William is an idiot if he doesn’t want to cultivate a good relationship with the British press. It is the one that he’s actually going to need when he becomes king – since his position is entirely dependant on the will of the British public and the media is the largest interface between the BRF and the public. He doesn’t need the Amercian media, he needs the British. He’s making a very very big mistake. However, he never struck me as a particularly bright fellow.

          1. I agree with everything you wrote, AH!

    4. I tend to agree with Lisa’s assement up thread, Jason is trying to attach Kate’s name to some cause other than hair twirling, bum flashing or manically grins.

       I think I will follow your lead Bluhare and try to withhold my judgement until after this event.

       I do have to add that I’m very disappointed that she has not continued her work with terminally ill children and I feel that her and William (and Jason) only started being involved with mental health because it’s become the cause du jour and not out of any really desire to make a difference.

       1. Lauri, I think that one reason Kate didn’t continue her work in the area of terminally ill children is because she is sadly uncomfortable around them. She’s the same with elderly people, basically I think she has little to no experience with these groups and can’t relate in any way, shape or form.

          With mental health she can attend engagements with teens and adults. While she seems to claim her focus is on children, if I can recall the only people we’ve seen are older teens and adults on her engagements. Unless she’s made some secret visits that we are unaware of her exposure is very limited. And trust me, if she made the visits they would have or will be made public at some point so they can count towards her numbers at the end of the year.

       2. Lauri, I admit that I am getting a bit tired of being optimistic that Kate will finally get off her duff and do something. I’m waiting to find out where my breaking point is and I turn into a Full Fledged Jellus H8r!

          I’m disappointed in the hospice care drop too. That has to be so disheartening for people with children that ill, who think that they are going to be Kate’s big project only to get dumped for something else. I hope she picks it up at some point, but that might mean doing two things at once. 🙂 To be fair, to really get involved in that takes a certain kind of person and from everything I’ve seen I don’t think she’s it.

25. Oops!! Misspelt my name. There was a comment before this one, KMR. It was in moderation because of the misspelling. Hope it’s not gone because now I can’t remember what I wrote. 🙂

    1. Not gone. And I fixed your name. 🙂

       1. That looks much better! 😉

26. Something tells me this is going to blow up in Kate’s face; she’ll be blasted in the British press for it I expect so they can get their revenge… and sadly it’ll be Jason who’ll get the blame. W&K wont ever think it was down to their poor decisions though (never!).

27. I have a question for everyone and I really want to know what people think. Say Kate does write an article or short forward. And it is an intelligent and well educated piece. Would you guys believe she wrote it or that her staff did/she just attached her name to it? I struggle with that because I find it hard to believe any royal actually sits down and writes. I feel like they would think ‘that is what my staff is for’. So, it is hard for me to view this without a tainted opinion. I want to know what other’s think. Is it possible Kate could actually write something intelligent herself and would you believe it?

    1. “Is it possible Kate could actually write something intelligent herself?”

       No of course not.

       “….and would you believe it?”

       Ditto.

    2. Oh boy…if we are to believe that she has written all of her little notes and letters to charities herself and her speeches, then unfortunately I’m going to have to say I’ll find it extremely hard to believe. The proof just isn’t out there…can everyone remember her mispronunciation of palliative in her PSA’s?

    3. Given the examples we have of her writing, to her charities, to children, even to her hobby, or even the speeches she allegedly writes herself, I don’t think she’s capable of writing anything thoughtful, interesting, insightful or even grammatically correct.

       So if she produced something that was all those things, i’d immediately smell a rat…..AKA a ghostwriter.

       1. To be fair, Herazeus, not everyone can be as eloquent as you and moi. 😀

    4. If I’m being honest here and with myself, then no I wouldn’t believe that she wrote an article or short forward. I feel rather bad about thinking this way as I would believe it if I were told that Max or Leti or Victoria wrote their own speeches but with Kate the trust just isn’t there. Gosh Overit, this question you asked really highlighted for me how much I distrust the motives of William and of Kate and how much that has eroded any positive feelings I used to have for this couple.

       1. I know Lauri! I feel the same way. Sadly now I question everything they do instead of being able to take it at face value. They always have a motive. It makes it really hard to trust them 🙁

    5. I find it hard to believe that there’s a genius brain behind that massive thicke of hair. Other than earning a college degree and landing a prince, her professional track record is a blank slate. So the answer is NO — she is neither credible not believable.

       I think this is a huge faux pas on KP’s part to push her out there now as guest editor. They should have waited a few more years for Kate to “ripen” at her charities and dedicate more time in them before passing her off as an authority. it’s like handing a CEO job to a new college graduate at a Fortune 500 company.

       1. I do agree with you, Yorkie. She just started down this mental health pathway for only 6 months. It’s not as believable without more experience. The basement of the foundation has just barely been constructed. They are handing her the keys where there is no door. We honestly have no idea what she personally can do on her own merit without any proof. It is far too soon for this kind of recognition.

          Thank you for your way with words post.

    6. It’s hard to answer ‘yes’ and ‘yes’ in light of Kate’s overall performance over the past five years which has been one of disinterest. She has been consistent in that. If she produced an intelligent, well-written piece, it would be the first in very few written examples that bear her name. I’d have to reserve judgement until I saw a decent body of work of similar quality – basically enough to erase the gob-smackingly awful impression Kate has sent of herself thus far. If it’s just another stunt all will become clear; just hope it does not tarnish the substantial work of Place2Be.

       1. Yes Jen. If she had written several published articles and given some more speeches there would be more credence to being given the opportunity and honor to be a Guest Editor.

          1. Exactly. I can’t help recall a youtube video when Kate and William were with another European royal couple attending a charity event. The reporter asked Kate directly about the particular charity and what they wanted to achieve; she was barely articulate and could offer nothing but ‘awareness’. To be fair, she was not expecting to be asked anything. But sheer respect for the organisation in addition to being well-educated should have seen her well-briefed for the event. In more ways than one!(Sorry, couldn’t resist).

    7. Possible she would decide who to include and perhaps write a draft then pass it over to be polished by someone who has experience in presentation. They sometimes do that as a matter of course. She is too new to be a professional speaker or writer on her own.

    8. Interesting comment, Overit.
       I’m afraid I would not believe that Kate wrote something of any merit.
       I don’t think she has the focus or is interested in putting in the time it would take to do so.
       W&K are not making it easy for people to admire them, are they? Or, love them, the way Diana was loved. I’m getting very tired of these two and their very limited dedication to working the way other Royals are. Imagine HM and Philip at their ages doing all that they do and with total dedication and interest. Dare I even say, love? They appear to really care about their roles and the influence they may have on people everywhere. W&K are all show and no substance. Princess Anne, Prince Harry, Sophie and often, Edward go out there and work themselves silly. (Sorry, I am not as up to date on Edward’s schedule as I should be, but I do think he lends his name to causes).

       There are always excuses for W&K too. She’s pregnant, she’s a new mom, she’s putting a schedule together and we’ll see it soon. For W, it’s all about his “work” with the air ambulance and his dislike of the media, which would be actually around if he worked on anything outside of his current “job.”

       No, I doubt I could ever imagine or believe that Kate could/would write anything of merit — anything of substance. Her interest in children’s mental health issues could really make a difference if she put herself out there. I don’t think she wants to do that — or is even capable of doing so. Nor, does she even take the time to research the various aspects of the subject matter. At least, I wouldn’t imagine that she does. What a shame.

28. Guest Editor sounds like someone who should be knowledgeable and experienced in this field. Our problem with Kate is that we have no idea on any level …speaking, writing, etc. It has taken her nearly 5 married years to learn where her interest might lay. She has given only one interview and that was prior to marriage. We just don’t know that much about how she feels about anything which would be so helpful towards believing in her and her new efforts. You cannot become an editor over night. What were her college experiences in the journal arena. Until I can see differently Kate is lending her name and position as a “guest editor”.

29. Okay, so this is now the 4th year that we’ve heard Kate has asked her aides to fill up her engagement diary and is “keen” to get involved and make a difference?

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3403021/Kate-s-new-mission-Princess-Hearts-Crusading-Duchess-follow-Diana-s-footsteps-secret-visits-troubled-children.html#comments

    1. Lol, I’m writing about that article right now. So ridiculous.

       1. Can’t wait to add my comments but I will wait to see your angle KMR before I do. We’ve got snow this morning my little dog just loves it so I’ve brushed the snow from the chair and am sitting in wellie boots, coat and hat, with coffee and KMR! Great day to start a Sunday. Dog is in his own little heaven.

          1. Took me longer than I was expecting (a friend called me and we talked for several hours), but it’s finally up now.

             Wow, snow. It’s currently raining here. No snow. Never snow. I want to build a snowman now.

             1. So funny, KMR. It’s cold here in NY today and very bleak. Still, no prediction for snow. My family and I had enough of the white stuff last year. Still, my daughters keep hoping for a major burst of the white stuff as they want to make a snowman!

                Yesterday, it was close to 60 degrees. I’ll take that any day of the year!

    2. In all seriousness, it depends on what Kate’s concept of ‘fill up’ means. She may have agreed with KP/BRF to ‘work’ – that is, be visible – say, on average, 10 hours per month which can be moved around to equal an a greed-upon number of hours or events over the year. I wonder if this is the case? What months are ‘off’ altogether?

       ‘Keen’ is also a slippery term to pin down. It could mean regular meetings with a charity, working behind the scenes in a number of capacities, topped off by an appearance. Or it could just mean the latter.

       I’ve always wanted to know what ‘work’ entails for a royal. Anne alluded to the the public having no idea of how much work the Queen does and I believe her. I suspect the Queen has her pulse on everything she accepts to take on; different generation, an ethic of duty and service.

    3. If the talk of a new baby is true, she may be unable to do her diary anyway.

       1. Whaaaat? Where is that rumour??? Wouldn’t surprise me as I think the India trip will be a difficult one for her.

          1. Oh people have been saying that Kate will have a third baby even while she was still pregnant with Charlotte, and haven’t let up since. A lot of people are predicting a third pregnancy announcement before the end of 2016.

             1. Yes, I also think she will become pregnant again. A baby is always a good excuse for her not to work.

30. Wow. While I am fully aware that many celebrities host charitable events and charge exorbitant amounts of money to attend. At least in those cases it’s very clear that it’s all for charity. I find Peter’s approach to this celebration to be beyond tacky. It also prevents people without vast funds from participating. It’s elitist and in extremely poor taste. If I was organizing it, I would encourage guests to make donations, at their discretion, rather than charging them outright. They could sell an armful of Kate’s hideous coats and have enough to cover each guest’s costs. I jus find it stomach turning that this family of millionaires (and that includes Peter, despite him not having a title) has the guts to blatantly demand payment for a birthday celebration?!

    Oh, and I almost choked on my coffee, laughing, when I saw that Kate is going to be editor-for-a-day. Ha! I thought it was an Onion article for a second! What on earth qualifies her to edit anything? She can barely string a coherent sentence together and has no experience or training in that area. Every time she’s opened her mouth, its been cringeworthy and if she did actually write her last speech, readers are going to be in for a Sesame Street level article. Fair enough that she’s chosen mental health as a patronage area, but there’s a massive difference between showing up, grinning, accepting flowers and make fake concern frowny faces and actually having knowledge and insight on the ntopic. I smell a PR ploy out of absolute desperation. Kate is been widely criticized as being a 1950’s throwback, lazy, an exhibitionist and a shallow clothes horse. Why on earth would anyone look too her as an authority on anything other than how to avoid tan lines in Mustique? I have no doubt that she will have a team of people holding her hand and basically doing everything for her. I think this is a desperate attempt to combat all the criticism towards her because she’s so terrible at performing her duties and is a spoiled, sheltered chronic shopper and wastes the taxpayers money.

    1. Yes to both points.

       I like the idea of donations. A more inclusive idea would be to invite the public to have their own street parties to celebrate the Queen’s 90th and donate a little something to the charity of their choice, be it money, a raffle prize, or a bit of their own time. UK people have genuine affection for the Queen overall and would celebrate her birthday, much like they did in 2012 for her Diamond Jubilee. To keep it modest and accessible is key I think.

       You have a point about Kate being an expert on avoiding tan lines. Add shopping to this very short list. The editing gig is truly desperate, eye-rolling stuff! It would be an incredibly difficult job advising the arrogant Cambridge’s. I imagine their brief is to make their clients look good but with minimal effort on K and W’s part.

       1. I think they are encouraging people to have their own street parties, in addition to the giant one being held on the Mall.

          1. Good. They should think through the Mall party a bit more: distribute tickets to the charities who can raffle/ sell as many as they can for fund-raising.

31. All I can say is that I hope that people who are actually experts write some articles for Kate when she is guest editing. She is not qualified to write anything about mental health issues and I hope that this does some good for those that she is trying to help with the illness.

    Other than that, I think that she is just trying to score brownie points for doing very little at all.

    Kate is making it very hard to be optimistic and less critical of her when she pulls PR stunts like this.

    1. Well said.

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