The Royal Family #38

Boring Monday · May 9, 2023

Great_Kate said:
I am not sure I would agree about the age problem. The amount of working royals in other monarchies is often smaller and older. It’s only a problem if the BRF wants to continue raking in those numbers.
Subsequently (help a non native speaker out- right wording? The translation doesn’t fit exactly but it just sounds so right????), there’s no real reason why George can’t start to accompany his parents or grandfather to certain engagements. I am not saying he should hold a speech. But it might be a good idea to include him in a handful of engagements. Other RF do this and it’s not just fantastic PR but it will win him sympathies (people just root or at least are interested in someone they see grow up) and should help to acclimate.

I think the thing for George, particularly since the childhood William and Harry had and remember, is that they want him to have as normal a childhood as possible and not give the media any ideas. It’s a balancing act, Imguess.

It’s not just an age thing, it’s a numbers thing. In pretty short order the working royal roster has lost 5 members. It’s not just the meet and greet handshaking stuff, it’s the patronages and armed forces chiefs that have to be redistributed …and really there is no way that 7 can properly fulfil the roles of 12. I imagine that a big black pen is going to be causing angst to a number of letterheads. Personally, I think they should just have half a dozen or so each that really resonate with them and that they can give time to … but I understand that especially for a lot of the smaller groups and charities that have a Royal Patron it helps immeasurably with promotion and fundraising. Again, that balancing act that needs careful consideration.

Basically, I think it’s reached the point where the can can’t be kicked any further down the road and decisions have to be made.

Tatooine_legend1 · May 9, 2023

Talking about tough lives for some royals, I was reading about Gerald Grosvenor, Sixth Duke of Westminster. He disliked being a billionaire, fell into depression and sought out the services of female escorts. Hearing about royals or aristocrats with issues always makes them seem a bit more normal.

Eirawen · May 9, 2023

Tatooine_legend1 said:
Talking about tough lives for some royals, I was reading about Gerald Grosvenor, Sixth Duke of Westminster. He disliked being a billionaire, fell into depression and sought out the services of female escorts. Hearing about royals or aristocrats with issues always makes them seem a bit more normal.

Fancy not liking being a millionaire

50sGirl · May 9, 2023

Eirawen said:
Years ago there were rumours that the Duke used to beat her quite a lot I have no idea if its true but they seemed to be living separately for awhile. I think his Mother who was rather snooty wanted him to marry an European Princess, an English Aristocrat's girl wasn't good enough.

My Dad loved Katherine Kent. Although she wasn’t royal blood he said she was the most regal of them all.

Eirawen · May 9, 2023

50sGirl said:
My Dad loved Katherine Kent. Although she wasn’t royal blood he said she was the most regal of them all.

She certainly had a natural grace

thegirlscout · May 9, 2023

Hurles762 said:
The Duke of Kent released an autobiography last year and they interviewed the Duchess at the end

She lives with him in their cottage at KP these days

I think they were separate for a bit in the 90’s/00’s but nothing official has ever came out.

Likewise Anne and Tim have been rumoured to have lived separately for periods in the 00’s although they seem happy together now

Would be great if she released a memoir - she has lived an interesting life.

NomDePlume · May 9, 2023

Baby Giraffe said:
I can't see why anybody would want to be as thin as Kate

I'd happily watch a slim Catherine over some pudgy fat princess waddling around any day. In all the royal houses there are very, very few who are overweight. Those who are, are hardly worth looking at from a fashion perspective and I love fashion. No one looks twice at Princess Charlene and her awful cover-up fashion, to go with her permanently miserable face. Same with the Dutch Princess, who also can never manage a smile. So the extra weight certainly doesn't help with confidence and a sparkling personality, unlike her mother, the fabulous Queen Maxima.
Princess Mary, Queen Rania, Queen Letizia, Princess Olympia, Princess Caroline, Rajwa Al Saif and many others always look amazing. Also can't imagine Charlotte Casiraghi representing Chanel while waddling like a duck either. Instead she gets her svelte figure on her horse and rides the Chanel show.
I may not like all of Catherine's fashion choices, but she'd look a lot worse if she were overweight. Of course the taller lean women with good proportions always look better than e.g. a Meghan who though now is slimmer again, still has that odd Sponge Bob figure. So slim is not always a guarantee to looking fabulous, but if you're prepared to tailor for the short squat ones, you can look great. Zara doesn't have a waist either, but she has a great stylist, who dresses her well to disguise that little flaw and she looks amazing.

Whatamadworld · May 9, 2023

thegirlscout said:
Her mother in law wasn’t happy about the marriage and they had a strained relationship, she contracted German measles (allegedly whilst performing Royal duties) whilst pregnant and had to have an abortion which she didn’t get a lot of support from within the Royal family, later she gave birth to a stillborn son at 9 months, she had depression, she has suffered from M.E. The Duke (her husband) wanted to get a divorce as he thought it would be better for both of them but the Queen was against it. She later converted to the Catholic faith and became a music teacher in Hull - she went by Mrs Kent or Katherine Kent. Her abortion happened in 1975, she lost her son, Patrick, in 1977 and her parents died in 1973 and 1979. A lot to happen in such a short space of time.

Oh fair enough, sounds like she went through a lot. Can't have been easy for her. I got confused a bit, but she doesn't have royal blood or she does?

Andouilette · May 9, 2023

Whatamadworld said:
Oh fair enough, sounds like she went through a lot. Can't have been easy for her. I got confused a bit, but she doesn't have royal blood or she does?

She doesn't, no. Her mother-in-law, Princess Marina was a raging snob.

Boring Monday · May 9, 2023

Andouilette said:
She doesn't, no. Her mother-in-law, Princess Marina was a raging snob.

I thought there was supposed to be some sort of descent from Cromwell? Other than that, her background was landed gentry.

Baby Giraffe · May 9, 2023

NomDePlume said:
I'd happily watch a slim Catherine over some pudgy fat princess waddling around any day. In all the royal houses there are very, very few who are overweight. Those who are, are hardly worth looking at from a fashion perspective and I love fashion. No one looks twice at Princess Charlene and her awful cover-up fashion, to go with her permanently miserable face. Same with the Dutch Princess, who also can never manage a smile. So the extra weight certainly doesn't help with confidence and a sparkling personality, unlike her mother, the fabulous Queen Maxima.
Princess Mary, Queen Rania, Queen Letizia, Princess Olympia, Princess Caroline, Rajwa Al Saif and many others always look amazing. Also can't imagine Charlotte Casiraghi representing Chanel while waddling like a duck either. Instead she gets her svelte figure on her horse and rides the Chanel show.
I may not like all of Catherine's fashion choices, but she'd look a lot worse if she were overweight. Of course the taller lean women with good proportions always look better than e.g. a Meghan who though now is slimmer again, still has that odd Sponge Bob figure. So slim is not always a guarantee to looking fabulous, but if you're prepared to tailor for the short squat ones, you can look great. Zara doesn't have a waist either, but she has a great stylist, who dresses her well to disguise that little flaw and she looks amazing.

Wow, this reads as very judgemental about women's bodies and what you perceive to be the ideal. I rarely think Kate dresses well or looks good in her choice of outfit but presumably she likes it so fair enough.

Bride of Lupine · May 9, 2023

Eirawen said:
Fancy not liking being a millionaire

Liking it well enough when he could use it and his privilege to buy the services of desperate women though eh

Eirawen · May 9, 2023

Bride of Lupine said:
Liking it well enough when he could use it and his privilege to buy the services of desperate women though eh

Exactly right

thegirlscout · May 9, 2023

NomDePlume said:
I'd happily watch a slim Catherine over some pudgy fat princess waddling around any day. In all the royal houses there are very, very few who are overweight. Those who are, are hardly worth looking at from a fashion perspective and I love fashion. No one looks twice at Princess Charlene and her awful cover-up fashion, to go with her permanently miserable face. Same with the Dutch Princess, who also can never manage a smile. So the extra weight certainly doesn't help with confidence and a sparkling personality, unlike her mother, the fabulous Queen Maxima.
Princess Mary, Queen Rania, Queen Letizia, Princess Olympia, Princess Caroline, Rajwa Al Saif and many others always look amazing. Also can't imagine Charlotte Casiraghi representing Chanel while waddling like a duck either. Instead she gets her svelte figure on her horse and rides the Chanel show.
I may not like all of Catherine's fashion choices, but she'd look a lot worse if she were overweight. Of course the taller lean women with good proportions always look better than e.g. a Meghan who though now is slimmer again, still has that odd Sponge Bob figure. So slim is not always a guarantee to looking fabulous, but if you're prepared to tailor for the short squat ones, you can look great. Zara doesn't have a waist either, but she has a great stylist, who dresses her well to disguise that little flaw and she looks amazing.

No wonder so many woman in the public eye have problems with eating disorders with opinions like this.

Boring Monday · May 9, 2023

thegirlscout said:
No wonder so many woman in the public eye have problems with eating disorders with opinions like this.

No one seems to care that a goodly proportion of the men look like a potato in a suit tied up with ribbon.

Blonde_moment · May 9, 2023

Don’t think there’s any need for the body shaming. I’m a size 10, but I’m quite boyish without much of a waist, boobs or hips. Can’t do anything about that, but I won’t let it stop me feeling good in my clothes! We all come in different shapes and sizes and can choose clothes to flatter. I think all the women in the royal family can look lovely when dressed well.

50sGirl · May 9, 2023

Yes I hope we aren’t going down that route again. Sarah Ferguson was treated appallingly by the tabloids in the 80s. It’s no wonder they are so scared to put on a pound or two. I think Beatrice was mocked for a while too - although not on the same scale as her mother Sarah.

neroli · May 9, 2023

I would get crucified and repeatedly thin shamed if I were a Royal. I've no time for fashion but can't see the shame in being slender. Kate is slender not emaciated. If she were "well rounded" she would get hounded too.
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Ire

50sGirl said:
Yes I hope we aren’t going down that route again. Sarah Ferguson was treated appallingly by the tabloids in the 80s. It’s no wonder they are so scared to put on a pound or two. I think Beatrice was mocked for a while too - although not on the same scale as her mother Sarah.

I remember the "Duchess of Pork" moniker

thegirlscout · May 9, 2023

50sGirl said:
Yes I hope we aren’t going down that route again. Sarah Ferguson was treated appallingly by the tabloids in the 80s. It’s no wonder they are so scared to put on a pound or two. I think Beatrice was mocked for a while too - although not on the same scale as her mother Sarah.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden had inpatient treatment for anorexia. Princess Diana had bulimia. Horrible illnesses
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neroli said:
I would get crucified and repeatedly thin shamed if I were a Royal. I've no time for fashion but can't see the shame in being slender. Kate is slender not emaciated. If she were "well rounded" she would get hounded too.

I personally think at times she looks very slim which is worrying. I think being at either ends if the spectrum (too thin or too large) is not good or healthy.

Chocolategoggler · May 9, 2023

The last time we spoke about Katherine Kent on here I looked up her wedding video on You Tube at York Minster if I remember right
Think this was it
You can see some of the guests if I have the right video.
This was her life story:-
This was Princess Alexandra's wedding - the one you were talking about being held up for the Coronation photo:-
I'm still reading Palace Papers and really enjoying it. I never knew the Mirror newspaper printed pictures of a topless Diana or that some of Diana's other actions nearly drive the schoolboy William to a nervous breakdown. Harry was described as brilliant by the army, a crack shot and flew Apaches. I'm currently reading about the phone hacking and looked up one of the Mirror reporters who turned himself in. He had no sympathy for the others and talks about bullying in tabloid media. Here's what I've been reading:-

Former Sunday Mirror reporter who turned himself in over hacking: 'Telling the truth gets you into trouble as well'

Among the many journalists caught up in Metropolitan Police investigations over the last four years, Graham Johnson is in many ways the odd one out. He was certainly the only charged journalist to have supportive witness statements from campaign group Hacked Off and The Guardian's Nick Davies...

pressgazette.co.uk

The Royal Family #38

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