The Royal Family #36

[stardust21]

William was one of the most handsome men in the world in his early 20s, in large part because of Diana's genes, she being one of the most beautiful, glamorous and famous women in the world in the 1980s and 1990s. Edward too wasn't bad and Kate, Meghan and Sophie are all hardly ugly too even if not quite in Diana's league of beauty

Maybe this is controversial, I don’t know, but I really don’t understand why everyone says Diana was so absolutely stunning. I just don’t think she was… she definitely had star power and an allure about her, but I wouldn’t describe her as beautiful as some people suggest personally.

I think Kate, Meghan and Sophie were all more beautiful in their 30s than Diana was. I think a lot of Diana’s appeal was her status, and her fashion.

 

[Isa_Drennan]

I think it could have been because he would be known as the Earl of Dumbarton. Dumbarton as a child can led to bullying.

If they found the Scottish title so embarrassing they should have politely declined. I would imagine that having a drug addict father who writes about his frozen penis and quite possibly shouts mummy when he ejaculates is significantly more embarrassing than having Dumbarton in your name.

 

[thegirlscout]

Princess Iman of Jordan got married and had a beautiful wedding dress!

 

[stardust21]

Meghan and Harry's daughter Princess Lilibet Diana is christened

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex hosted the religious ceremony last Friday which was carried out by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Reverend John Taylor.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I assume this makes Archie a Prince

I find this story so weird. “I really hate this institution and it has ruined my life. But I want my kids to be part of it”… weird

 

[Miss Begotten]

So the PR spin goes on.
( Apologies for the DM link )

Kate Middleton's jobs before she joined the Royal Family

While Kate Middleton has recently taken up a new role as the Princess of Wales, not all her previous occupations have been quite so lofty - including working as a deckhand and a waitress.

www.dailymail.co.uk

So Kate isn’t a lazy cow after all. Behold her tireless work as a member of the suffering proletariat.
Four whole MONTHS as a “deckhand”.
A bit of waitressing.
Some twatting about working for Jigsaw.
Then some backbreaking work taking photos for Mummy and Daddy’s business.

Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but this has completely changed my mind. Not.
And people still make out that huge parts of the media don’t work as the royals PR company.

 

[Ellelalala]

People have been speculating Charles abdicating to give William the throne for years, and it always strikes me as wishful thinking because people like the younger, prettier option.
Abdication in the UK still has a bit of a stain to it after Edward VIII, I don't foresee it being repeated only a two generations later.

Charles has been waiting for this his entire life, he is not abdicating any time soon.

 

[stardust21]

I’m just going to start this comment by saying: I am not saying Kate has an eating disorder, we don’t know, we can’t possibly know, it’s totally private to her which is fair enough.

One of the main reasons people develop eating disorders is to feel like they have a sense of control in their lives. I don’t think it’s hard to imagine that healthy eating and a rigorous exercise regime help Kate feel like she has a bit more control, and something just for her in her life. So I can understand why people do speculate. That being said, it doesn’t mean that because she eats very healthy and exercises a lot, she definitely has an eating disorder or uses it to control things. She might just really enjoy those things, and if so fair play, I enjoy cake too much

I know a lot of people in here think she had a really cushty life, and I don’t for a second believe she needs much sympathy, but I do think her position must be incredibly stressful. Trying to bring up three kids in such a public way must be really difficult, especially now in the era of mobile phones and social media.

Louis is 4 and has already been dubbed “cheeky” and essentially non-conforming. He’s already a meme. For all we know he might actually be super shy George has his life planned for him, and isn’t able to make any mistakes. The feeling she must have to try and protect him must be really hard. And Charlotte is going to be so harassed as a teenager… I remember papers doing countdowns until people like Emma Watson were legal…

I can fully understand why she would use exercise as a way of venting that stress in a healthy way.

I do think though, that it’s important that as members of public that we recognise she doesn’t look the way she does with zero effort. She has stylists, probably personal trainers, she will have people helping her with what to eat to make sure her skin and hair stay perfect. She will have regular beauty treatments like massages and facials. Her beauty regimen probably costs 100’s every single week. The RF will deem this an important investment because she is really the “face” of the RF, her and William are what they need people to buy into. She’s a walking talking billboard for the RF and the UK, that pressure alone is probably enough to make her think twice about a slice of cake.

 

[travelbug20]

The press were much worse to Meghan in what they wrote, there's no denying that. There were racist undertones from the start.

However, to say Kate didn't go through it would also be wrong. She was hounded by the paps for years, when she was a young girl in her twenties. You only have to YouTube/Google it to see the videos, it must be incredibly intimidating to try and walk through a group of men shouting after you day after day. Some of the stuff they shouted at her to get a reaction was vile. There is one video of her at night walking down the road and she's in tears asking them to leave her alone.

We don't necessarily need to compare the two. Meghan was the victim of a racist press, Kate was the victim of intense pap harassment.

People compare what was WRITTEN and claim Meghan had it worse, which she did. But what is often overlooked is the pap invasions that Kate went through. Let's not forget either her phone was hacked 155 times. But because it happened in the noughties when that was "just how the press was" it doesn't get the attention it should.

They both went through the ringer with the press in different ways and the palace didn't protect them. They could have given Kate security sooner and they could have put something out condemning the racist undertones of Meghan's coverage.

The comparison of the treatment of the two women is nuanced and complicated, it can't just be broken down to the headlines.

 

[bubbadabut]

They've said that they didn't want to burden them with titles previously though, according to Scobie who's their mouthpiece. How has that changed in the past months?

It was the Earl of Dumbarton title they didn't want to burden Archie with. Way too unappealing. The eyes have always been on the bigger prize.

Re the coronation, I don't know how it's even up for debate as to whether they'll attend or not. Of course they bloody will! Harry with his perma‐scowl and Meghn with the rictus grin. Then 2 months later we'll all get to hear about how they were housed in a kennel at Kensington Palace, how Kate wouldn't pass Meghan the canapés, and how Willy sniggered at Harold's dance moves.

 

[NomDePlume]

Writing on banana skins is so tacky and classless. Write a proper note if you have to.

The ones keeping score of the cost of Kate and the tennis court must have a short memory (much like Meghan who misrememberes) as they have forgotten that in one year the ostentatious Meghan spent more on her wardrobe than all the other royal ladies combined. And still managed to look like a mess most of the time.
ONE dress alone cost £100 000. The whole lot together were in the region of £1mill, give or take. And how much was that copper bath again for Frogmore? I think her engagement dress, that inappropriate evening wear one (for day photos next to Harry in that blue suit) was the price of Kate's tennis court, if I remember correctly.

There is also the price of the wedding she called a "spectacle" and the fact that they were given a choice about being working royals, without the titles should they wish to follow a different path for their married life. They weren't forced to take the dukedom, but god forbid they couldn't have what William had. Harry got the dukedom but there was always only going to be one Heir, unfortunately.

 

[Honeystar]

There’s plenty you can critique her for but for me personally it feels uncomfortable to talk about her weight.
“She clearly has an eating disorder” is thrown around like it’s an insult or something to judge. It’s not, it’s an illness that will never go away with judgements and opinions like those.
Nobody is suggesting she’s putting away a chocolate cake every day, but most of us aren’t one of the most photographed women in the world. I critique a simple quick photo taken on holiday/a special occasion, I can’t begin to imagine what I would be like if there were hundreds of photos taken of me every time I left the house.
---

Why is everyone tip toeing round this subject. Of course the stick insect has an eating disorder, long discussed, most likely bulimia or jus plain starvation with the aid of pills. Can’t see her on the royal bog shitting out her insides every hour, so doubt it’s laxatives.

I’ve seen her in the flesh, you are simply not prepared for just how skinny she is. She used to be a porker by comparison in St Andy’s days, which suited her much better, and she looked terrific. Obviously at nearer to 2M in height, there’s no way she’s 6 stone ‘naturally’. Give over.

“Of course the stick insect has an eating disorder” I hope nobody close to you ever suffers it that’s your attitude. An eating disorder isn’t a choice, it’s not something to judge or shame. It’s a debilitating and sometimes life threatening illness. Do better.

 

[milkyway]

I don’t know how you can go from slagging off your family and the RF/‘institution’ to deciding that you want your children to have Prince/Princess titles. You can’t have it both ways.

I thought they would want them to grow up without titles and as normal as possible, just like Princess Anne and Mark did for Peter and Zara

 

[Lammington]

They're just influencers really but with a classier appearance. They have their own profile outside of the RF which would enable them to get deals anyway but probably not such high profile or lucrative deals. I don't really think Zara and Mike are worth getting worked up over. Surely if you're going to get angry about royals wasting money it should be the main crew that you get angry over! Zara and Mike are small fry compared to Andrew looking for 32k for his healer for example. It's not like they can be banned from doing deals - they're private individuals being paid by private companies.

I'd also note that Mike Tindall would likely have got a fair number of brand deals or TV spots regardless of his marriage, as he was a sports figure in his own right. Not likely anywhere near what he has made, but he did at least have his own career, and money and prospects as a result. Zara's also an Olympic medalist, which can be used to generate sponsorship income.

I think they're definitely far from the worst offenders in terms of money solely due to their royal status.

 

[Em_gardener]

The duchesses who carry the Queen's canopy are not usually members of the royal family either. Are you suggesting that Camilla's grandchildren aren't 'good' enough because they are not titled? I do hope not!

I agree. Their grandmother is becoming Queen. It's a big deal whether they're part of the RF or not. The whole situation with Harry and his family is kind of irrelevant to this decision in my opinion.

ETA I just read that she wants them to hold the canopy over her while she gets anointed with oil. That doesn't seem that big a deal to me and it's fitting that they'd do that for their grandmother and be a part of history themselves.

 

[Em_gardener]

I find their hypocrisy so infuriating. Sure, have a christening. But why the need for a private couple to release a statement?

Especially when they were so secretive about Archie's. They give off the impression that they're desperate to get a reaction from the palace or get one over on them in the press. They've already released a statement saying they were invited to the coronation but they don't know if they'll go or not and now their sources are telling the press that the RF were invited to the christening but didn't go. They're constantly choosing to play their family dramas out in public.

 

[travelbug20]

Really pleased Edward (and Sophie) have been granted the Edinburgh title. It was the wish of Prince Phillip from the start and if anyone in the RF deserves a good honour it's those two. Keep their heads down, get on with the job, happy to do the more boring jobs and engagements and bringing the kids up to be seemingly well-rounded people who will expect to get a job and build their own lives.

 

[Em_gardener]

I think it’s disingenuous to think that she doesn’t have off the rack clothing tailored to fit

Exactly! And Zara makes some tiny sizes. I often have to size up in there.
I do think she has muscle so she's not unhealthy but I also think she puts a lot of work into her figure. She has to be exercising to have the muscle and she has to be very careful about food to have such little body fat. Nothing wrong with that but let's not pretend that she's just naturally as slim as she is without making any effort. That's not good for people to believe.

 

[mrsX]

The dailymail "camillas grandkids invited but not archie and lilibet!!!"

Yeah coz they're under 5. Ffs. Unless the bloody wiggles or pj masks make an appearance I don't think they'd sit still for it.

Clickbaitbullshit.

 

[Duchesspink]

His mother wasn't Irish but of Irish descent. Her Great Grandparents were Irish (Joe Biden's great great great grandparents

That makes him seem even more ludicrous if he doesn't like the British for that reason. He'd have more Irish in him if he ate a bowl of stew! Stupid man

 

[bubbadabut]

Makes a refreshing change from all the Harry Potter and Elsa costumes.