This space will be dedicated to the ongoing discussion about Kate Middleton's work ethic or lack there of. Feel free to mention anything else Royal related.
Sussexroyal: We are proud to announce that Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Sussex is the Guest Editor for the September issue of @BritishVogue. For the past seven months, The Duchess has curated the content with British Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful to create an issue that highlights the power of the collective. They have named the issue: “Forces for Change”
For the cover, The Duchess chose a diverse selection of women from all walks of life, each driving impact and raising the bar for equality, kindness, justice and open mindedness. The sixteenth space on the cover, a mirror, was included so that when you hold the issue in your hands, you see yourself as part of this collective. The women on the cover include:
@AdwoaAboah @AdutAkech @SomaliBoxer @JacindaArdern @TheSineadBurke @Gemma_Chan @LaverneCox @JaneFonda @SalmaHayek @FrankieGoesToHayward @JameelaJamilOfficial @Chimamanda_Adichie @YaraShahidi @GretaThunberg @CTurlington
We are excited to announce that within the issue you’ll find: an exclusive interview between The Duchess and former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, a candid conversation between The Duke of Sussex and Dr Jane Goodall, inspirational articles written by Brené Brown, Jameela Jamil and many others. Equally, you’ll find grassroots organisations and incredible trailblazers working tirelessly behind the scenes to change the world for the better. “Guest Editing the September issue of British Vogue has been rewarding, educational and inspiring. To deep dive into this process, working quietly behind the scenes for so many months, I am happy to now be able to share what we have created. A huge thanks to all of the friends who supported me in this endeavour, lending their time and energy to help within these pages and on the cover. Thank you for saying “Yes!” - and to Edward, thank you for this wonderful opportunity.” - The Duchess of Sussex
#ForcesForChange
From their informality to their first post-marriage appearance, Harry and Meghan—delaying their honeymoon to take on royal duties—are the best models for a new kind of royalty.
What an extraordinary week it has been for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
Although the couple were married only on Saturday last week, they have already carried out their first engagement as a married couple, making a public appearance at a garden party, with 6000 invited guests, to celebrate Prince Charles’ 70th birthday (a little early perhaps as it doesn't actually occur until November.)
They were, by all accounts, a sensation. Meghan looked incredible, dressed in a stunning pink and taupe summer dress by Goat and a Philip Treacy hat, and chatted breezily with numerous guests. She opened her conversation, as has become her signature, with a breezy, “Hi, I’m Meghan!”
Although the Palace are unwilling to give any precise or exact commitments, sources are suggesting that we will be seeing much, much more of Meghan and Harry over the coming six months than might have been anticipated.
A trip to Dublin is apparently in the pipeline, and, possibly a mission to Australia, where the two will be representing the queen as part of their special detail as youth ambassadors for the Commonwealth.
It makes an extraordinary contrast to the early years of Kate Middleton’s marriage to Prince William.
Kate
was barely seen at all for quite a few years after they married seven years ago.
Indeed, one of her first moves was to insist that they moved to a remote cottage in a remote corner of Wales, on a small peninsula as far as it is possible to get from any attention.
William worked, theoretically, as an air ambulance pilot, although he was hugely criticized for not pulling his weight.
No one had any idea what they were up to tucked away in the country, although Kate would periodically take carefully choreographed trips to the local town in which she would be photographed shopping in the supermarket which helped show what an incredibly normal person she was.
For many months she was incredibly reluctant to appear even by William’s side, and it was a full six months before she had a solo engagement, standing in for Charles at a private dinner for 30 guests at Clarence House in November 2011.
Of course, many observers are suggesting that the reason why Meghan is so much more ready to meet the public in her role as a princess is because she is an actor, most notably in Suits.
Her whole life, according to this argument, was just a warm up for this moment, and so it is little surprise she was interview-ready and supremely well prepared for public scrutiny. Indeed, some say Harry shrewdly married a woman who clearly was not averse to fame.
But the argument that Meghan is a showbiz native and this therefore makes it unfair to compare the eagerness with which she has embraced her public role compared to Kate deliberately misses a very important fact; Kate and William began dating at university. They first met a full ten years before they got married.
It is Meghan who has been thrust dramatically and suddenly into the limelight, not Kate.
Meghan may be better temperamentally suited to the experience and she may have become famous in her career, but that doesn’t take anything away from the smiling enthusiasm she has brought to the job, in comparison to what has sometimes seemed rather sullen resignation on the part of Kate.
Of course, right now, you don’t need an opinion poll to deduce that Harry and Meghan are everyone’s favorite royals. What will be really interesting is how Meghan's popularity holds up over time.
Kate has not done well in this respect—one recent survey found the number of people who say they can relate to the onetime ‘girl next door’ is only 13 percent. It’s perhaps not surprising that her rating is way lower than Meghan at 29 percent.
It will also be interesting to see how much or how little work Harry and Meghan will do over the summer. Traditionally, the royal show comes to a big fat halt in the middle of June, shortly after the “Trooping of the Colour,” which is also the queen’s official birthday.
As The Daily Beast has noted before, the royals have a well honed pattern of engaging in an ever-increasing number of public appearances up until just about the moment that the royal accounts are published, and then disappearing from view for the summer.
Buckingham Palace then opens to the public (arguably the most incredible tourist experience available in London) and the royals more or less disappear until September.
My hunch is that Harry and Meghan will take advantage of the slack season to take an extended honeymoon over the summer, not least because June and July is the best time to go on safari in Africa, as it's much easier to spot animals in the dry season.
But to imagine that Harry and Meghan have structured the next few months solely around the likelihood of spotting the "big five" game (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, black and white species, elephant, and Cape buffalo) in Namibia is to do them down.
The wedding itself seems to have been crafted with great emotional intelligence. Although Thomas Markle created an unwelcome distraction, and it was clearly a huge mistake not to have him in situ several weeks before the wedding, the whole event was a deformalizing experience for the royals—from Bishop Michael Curry’s fire and love sermon to the carriage ride round Windsor Castle.
The very fact of having a wedding on a Saturday was in itself somewhat revolutionary, as the royals have always tended to get married on a Thursday or Friday, and would always expect public holidays to be granted in honor of the wedding.
Harry wisely avoided making a public occasion—or at least an official public occasion—out of the wedding by abandoning such precedents.
Even holding it in Windsor was a departure from tradition but a shrewd one, as life in London continued undisturbed for the millions of citizens who couldn’t care less about the monarchy. The FA cup final was played as normal just hours after Harry and Meghan got married.
Meghan is creating a happy style for herself and her husband; non-paranoid, engaged, warm-hearted and laid back without being dismissive.
William and Kate might just have a bit to learn from the new kid on the block.
7. Kate Middleton. According to Hammel, Kate only smiles because her face is "collapsing." She continues, "That, my Kate Middleton watchers, is why you will see her grinning maniacally at all times in photographs and videos, even when you get the strong sense it doesn't really fit the occasion, even when you can't see quite what's so funny, even when those around her don't seem remotely festive. Even when she's staring into space, walking up some stairs. Even at somber events when it's not right to smile, when she can't lest she appear soulless, she tucks the corners ever-so-slightly upward."
(Note: I will try to make this be my only Kate post of the day)
A Taste of Norfolk: The Nook Appeal Gala
So last night in Norfolk at Houghton Hall, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended The Taste of Norfolk gala dinner…. It went as well as could be expected. A couple of things,
I really do love that dress. I’m glad she brought it out.
I am also glad she is wearing her hair up more. Although, I do wonder how long it will last. Maybe since it’s summer that is why it’s up.
That being said, Author and EACH Ambassador Anthony Horowitz OBE and The Marquess of Cholmondeley said (in part) in a speech,
“…The Duchess is a wonderfully active, involved and enlightened royal patron to EACH: it’s a pleasure to see her.”
HRH Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is “wonderfully active, involved and enlightened” to EACH??? She hasn’t given a speech on palliative care since 2014? Also, when was the last time she visited a hospice?
In a speech, EACH Patron and event organiser Emma Deterding said,
“…I would like to thank Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for agreeing to join us for this amazing evening.“
Again, with the “agreeing” part. It is almost as if EACH is trying to subtly tell everyone that HRH Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge has not been at all the patron they had hoped she would be. And asking her to do something for the charity is like “pulling teeth.”
Also, just to point out, apparently Richard Palmer (@royalreporter) was the only journalist to attend the fundraising gala last night. With something like that, I get not wanting it to get crowded with photographers and journalists. However, only having one journalist is like TRH’s are making sure no other message then what they want gets out.
Again, the gala would have been the perfect opportunity for HRH Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge to give a speech. It would have been limited media and they could have total control. Although, seeing as how EACH had to mention how wonderful it was for HRH Duchess of Cambridge to “agree” to attend…
Peter and Autumn Phillips at the National Service of Thanksgiving as part of the 90th birthday celebrations for The Queen at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 10, 2016 in London.
June 10, 2016 I Various members of the British Royal Family arrive at St Paul’s Cathedral for a national thanksgiving service to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s official 90th birthday.
Kate was the most protected gf. Didn't will get her bodyguards that were only for royal wives? Like when she was blocking her face telling paps that she wouldn't put her hand down and how it should be illegal. That looked like a planned move for sympathy to appear like Diana.
Didn’t will get her bodyguards that were only for royal wives - no
Kate did not get a bodyguard until she was engaged.
There were some times when she was papped with police protection nearby (not plainsclothes) and talk of her getting police traffic escorts sometimes when she went to “work” at Jigsaw. Entirely possible William was breaking the rules and *encouraging* the London police to watch out for her. I wouldn’t put it past him.
Prince Harry has presented an Invictus Games Gold medal to a hospital in Cambridge who saved the life of an American soldier. Sergeant Elizabeth Marks publicly asked the Prince to return it to Papworth Hospital after he placed it around her neck at the Games last month.
→ When Prince William stubbornly refuses to go on an outing, his mother pulls out the big gun, that Harry will have all the fun, & Prince William simply will not allow that! || 1986.
