William and Kate

[Duchesspink]

Michael middleton was an aircraft dispatcher for British Airways and Carole was a stewardess when they met.
They went to live in Jordan for 3 years and when they returned, carole started the party pieces business.
(According to reports)

They may have been comfortable but I doubt they were wealthy. Even reading the aristocratic links, they went far back in michaels family and aren't really that important.

They've done very well for themselves with their business.
I really like them from anything we see of them on television.
They both appear to be very grounded and have never put a foot wrong.

Kate of course will have had training for delivering speeches however the accent is OTT. She really strains when she speaks and her words often run into each other. I sometimes struggle to hear what she's saying when you hear her on television.

There must be tremendous pressure to match those around you however Sophie/zara/william/Harry etc don't sound as posh as that.

 

[Lovely]

Kate of course will have had training for delivering speeches however the accent is OTT. She really strains when she speaks and her words often run into each other. I sometimes struggle to hear what she's saying when you hear her on television.

I think part of Kate's problem is that her posture is very 'tight', especially when she's nervous. If her whole upper body is constricted, that's going to affect her voice (I've also noticed the vocal straining you mention and she can sound very breathy at times, although not as much as she used to). The accent isn't as full-on when she's relaxed/doing something within her comfort zone. I do feel for her because she's not a natural public speaker (like most people!) and I expect that aspect of the job is still sometimes difficult for her.

 

[Duchesspink]

I think part of Kate's problem is that her posture is very 'tight', especially when she's nervous. If her whole upper body is constricted, that's going to affect her voice (I've also noticed the vocal straining you mention and she can sound very breathy at times, although not as much as she used to). The accent isn't as full-on when she's relaxed/doing something within her comfort zone. I do feel for her because she's not a natural public speaker (like most people!) and I expect that aspect of the job is still sometimes difficult for her.

It must be really hard to overcome as public speaking would make most of us shrivel inside!

 

[Chinese_whispers]

Has her accent changed? She went to the same school as Miranda Hart and thats the sort of Received Pronunciation accent the pupils pick up.

Kate and Jack Whitehall were at Marlborough College together as well and I think they sound the same.

 

[hannah123]

How do you know Carol only married him for money? Are you a relative? It's hugely misogynistic for people to keep the trope going that women only marry for money. It's 2021.

Finally someone said it, I’ve seen Carol be called a social climber so much on this thread and on twitter, like a middle class person can’t possibly fall in love with the working class. It’s classist and sexist, but most social climbers and gold diggers that are marrying purely for gain, don’t stick around for 40 odd years in a marriage.

My mum used to get the party pieces booklet delivered when I was a kid, we could never afford a birthday party but I loved looking through it and planning what I’d get if I could. They sold really cool bits or kids.

 

[Eirawen]

Kate and Jack Whitehall were at Marlborough College together as well and I think they sound the same.

Yes but she sounds tense when she has to deliver a speech, probably down to nerves. This may make her sound like she is trying to be posher but don't think she is

Finally someone said it, I’ve seen Carol be called a social climber so much on this thread and on twitter, like a middle class person can’t possibly fall in love with the working class. It’s classist and sexist, but most social climbers and gold diggers that are marrying purely for gain, don’t stick around for 40 odd years in a marriage.

So sorry Carole.

 

[EastofHollywood]

It must be really hard to overcome as public speaking would make most of us shrivel inside!

It's her job though, and one she waited for for 10 years before doing it for another 10 years! My job involves me speaking to strangers all day. I'd be sacked if 10 years into it I was still rubbish at public speaking!

 

[sleepflowers]

Kate looks so unhealthily skinny on the front of today's Evening Standard

 

[DCICassieStuart]

Kate looks so unhealthily skinny on the front of today's Evening Standard

She looks unwell. She's very very thin. I'm a size 6-8 myself but I'm only 5'3". I suspect Kate is about a size 4, if even that and she's 5'7" or 5'8" I think. I'm just under 8 stone and I reckons she weighs less than me.

 

[Great_Kate]

Kate looks so unhealthily skinny on the front of today's Evening Standard

I agree. I am in the pro-Kate camp but she looks really unhealthy. At first I thought another surprise pregnancy might he around the corner but it seems she is just overdoing her dieting and excessive exercise. It’s sad because she looked extremely beautiful with those pregnancy pounds. Her slouching is probably because she is shy and often taller than anyone else. You can see that with lots of tall people. She might act comfortable with her height, even emphasising with heels but when she is in direction contact/talking to someone it seems she gets hyper aware.

 

[thankyoudelia]

It's her job though, and one she waited for for 10 years before doing it for another 10 years! My job involves me speaking to strangers all day. I'd be sacked if 10 years into it I was still rubbish at public speaking!

She’s far from rubbish at it. Also, I’m sure you’re utterly wonderful at your job, however, are your speeches/presentations/conversations regularly dissected, scrutinised and disseminated to an audience of millions via broadcast, written and social media? With cutting judgment given by ‘experts’ on delivery and personal appearance over content?

The Duchess may have received lots of media training, however, she’s something of an introvert who clearly pushes herself hard out of her comfort zone in order to communicate clearly and with warmth to the vast array of people she meets.

Her accent seems perfectly fine to me. I work in an industry plum full of people who attended lesser public schools than Marlborough and almost all of them speak with a level of RP that wouldn’t have been out of place on a BBC wireless broadcast in 1937.

I agree. I am in the pro-Kate camp but she looks really unhealthy. At first I thought another surprise pregnancy might he around the corner but it seems she is just overdoing her dieting and excessive exercise. It’s sad because she looked extremely beautiful with those pregnancy pounds. Her slouching is probably because she is shy and often taller than anyone else. You can see that with lots of tall people. She might act comfortable with her height, even emphasising with heels but when she is in direction contact/talking to someone it seems she gets hyper aware.

She’s under quite a bit of stress with the old family feud. Some people comfort eat at times like this, others can’t face looking at a cup of tea.

 

[bubbadabut]

She looks unwell. She's very very thin. I'm a size 6-8 myself but I'm only 5'3". I suspect Kate is about a size 4, if even that and she's 5'7" or 5'8" I think. I'm just under 8 stone and I reckons she weighs less than me.

I agree, I am the exact same size as you and she is erring too far into unhealthy territory for me. I don't think the style of the dress today helps though, the drop hem elongates her middle. Does it really need to be a £1600 dress for a trip to the museum though? The dress is nothing special, she could easily have gone with Zara, Reiss or Karen Millen, or even better, a rewear.

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[EastofHollywood]

She’s far from rubbish at it. Also, I’m sure you’re utterly wonderful at your job, however, are your speeches/presentations/conversations regularly dissected, scrutinised and disseminated to an audience of millions via broadcast, written and social media? With cutting judgment given by ‘experts’ on delivery and personal appearance over content?

To be honest, I've never heard her speak, I'm just going by what people are saying here, so rubbish may be a bit harsh! But the thing about public speaking is that the more you do it, the more you get used to it and the fear of it fades. She was well aware of what she was required in the 10 years before her marriage, so she shouldn't really be uncomfortable about speaking to people 20 years down the line!

 

[whathastheworldcometo]

Could it be that Kate has an eating disorder?

She was always into fitness and when she was younger she looked strong, fit - and healthy. Before the wedding she got really thin (which I can understand) but now she is pushing 40 and has three children and is even thinner. I can understand that her family, job and stresses keep her occupied and therefore thin, but given that Diana had an eating disorder (and given that Meghan spoke about mental health problems due to the stress and difficulties of being in the BRF - although I take anything what H and M say with a full pint of salt) I wonder whether Kate might be in a similar position?

In addition, she dresses in a way that makes her appear even slimmer sometimes (this dress elongates her upper body and then provides a contrast with the flare, but I also remember the green dress she wore at Wimbledon two years ago, when she went with Meghan) - almost as if she wants to demonstrate how thin she is?

 

[Chinese_whispers]

Could it be that Kate has an eating disorder?

She was always into fitness and when she was younger she looked strong, fit - and healthy. Before the wedding she got really thin (which I can understand) but now she is pushing 40 and has three children and is even thinner. I can understand that her family, job and stresses keep her occupied and therefore thin, but given that Diana had an eating disorder (and given that Meghan spoke about mental health problems due to the stress and difficulties of being in the BRF - although I take anything what H and M say with a full pint of salt) I wonder whether Kate might be in a similar position?

In addition, she dresses in a way that makes her appear even slimmer sometimes (this dress elongates her upper body and then provides a contrast with the flare, but I also remember the green dress she wore at Wimbledon two years ago, when she went with Meghan) - almost as if she wants to demonstrate how thin she is?

It could also just be the way she’s built. Her mam and sister are both quite slim. My best friend growing up is very similar looks wise to Kate. She doesn’t have an ED she just can’t eat much when she’s stressed. weight falls off her very easily, that she can’t really afford to lose but it’s borderline impossible for her to put it back on again. Everyone’s system is different.

 

[whathastheworldcometo]

It could also just be the way she’s built. Her mam and sister are both quite slim. My best friend growing up is very similar looks wise to Kate. She doesn’t have an ED she just can’t eat much when she’s stressed. weight falls off her very easily, that she can’t really afford to lose but it’s borderline impossible for her to put it back on again. Everyone’s system is different.

Absolutely.

But even when she was 26 or so she had a bit more to her and she was old enough then to have lost the baby fat.
She became very thin just before her wedding and has stayed the same since, if anything she is now even thinner than she was at her wedding.

Even if she is thin due to "stress" (and the wedding was very stressful for sure) it cannot be healthy as it effectively means that she has been stressed for the last ten years and will be for the rest of her life.

Pippa is also very athletic but I am certain that Carole stays thin due to dieting and exercise.

 

[Eirawen]

How do you know Carol only married him for money? Are you a relative? It's hugely misogynistic for people to keep the trope going that women only marry for money. It's 2021.

Sorry Carole

 

[maxrigger]

This is a few years old now, but gives a rough guide to the class system. I believe that the threshold for lower middle class is now something like a household income of over £50k but there also has to be a certain percentage of disposable income and savings, so the threshold will be lower in areas which have a cheaper cost of living and higher somewhere like London where everything costs stupid amounts.

How old is the table you posted lol The 'Elite' are pulling £89k a year and I earn a heck of a lot more than that working offshore. There is a lot more to class than just money, its family history, education, social circle etc, lot of 'upper middle class' folk around who don't have a pot to pee in but still have 'class'.

This is more recent, to be classed middle class (2019), married with two sprogs you need to be on about £80k so that makes me upper middle...I'll give Bill and Kate a bell and meet up for a pint at their place https://blogs.bath.ac.uk/iprblog/2019/07/01/whither-the-middle-class/

 

[vretch]

I agree. I am in the pro-Kate camp but she looks really unhealthy. At first I thought another surprise pregnancy might he around the corner but it seems she is just overdoing her dieting and excessive exercise. It’s sad because she looked extremely beautiful with those pregnancy pounds. Her slouching is probably because she is shy and often taller than anyone else. You can see that with lots of tall people. She might act comfortable with her height, even emphasising with heels but when she is in direction contact/talking to someone it seems she gets hyper aware.

I think Kate is the type who loses weight when she is stressed etc. And boy has she been stressed over the last few months with PP dying and all the negativity from over the pond. I really think stress has a lot to do with it, My sister is like that when she is stressed she loses weight but when I’m stressed I comfort eat and pile it on.

To be honest, I've never heard her speak, I'm just going by what people are saying here, so rubbish may be a bit harsh! But the thing about public speaking is that the more you do it, the more you get used to it and the fear of it fades. She was well aware of what she was required in the 10 years before her marriage, so she shouldn't really be uncomfortable about speaking to people 20 years down the line!

Hmmm that hasn’t worked for me. I’m now retired but I hated and got incredibly nervous when speaking in front of an audience. I did a lot of it, had to, and I didnt get better but never lost my job because I was very good in other areas of my work, thankfully.

 

[whathastheworldcometo]

I think Kate is the type who loses weight when she is stressed etc. And boy has she been stressed over the last few months with PP dying and all the negativity from over the pond. I really think stress has a lot to do with it, My sister is like that when she is stressed she loses weight but when I’m stressed I comfort eat and pile it on.

But she was just as thin in 2018 at Wimbledon. Remember the green dress she wore?