William and Kate flew with George and Charlotte to an undisclosed location in the French Alps last Wednesday. It is thought they took a private jet due to timings and the fact there were no reported sightings from an airport. The photos were released this morning, hours after the family's return to ensure they could enjoy the break in private.
The couple decided to invite Press Association photographer John Stillwell to take portraits of the family. Mr Stillwell is an excellent photographer - one the Cambridges clearly feel comfortable with. He took Prince George's first official birthday portraits at the Natural History Museum and official photographs of Prince Harry in Afghanistan.
Kensington Palace said: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to share new photos of their family enjoying a short ski break. The Duke and Duchess hope people enjoy these photos."
We had presumed we wouldn't see new photos for Mother's Day; the timing for the release of these was perfect. It's lovely to see informal shots of the family together and William and Kate having fun in the snow. These are some of my favourite shots of the Cambridges. Inviting one photographer along and releasing the photos upon return may be a fantastic way to compromise should they wish to release holiday snaps now and again.
It was very much expected the Cambridges were planning to take a break when they missed the annual Mustique holiday with the Middletons in January. William and Kate have always loved skiing and photos from their days on the slopes were a firm favourite during the early years of their relationship. Perhaps it's the beginning of a new tradition with their own children?
A fabulous shot of William holding Charlotte. Look at that face :)
The Palace also revealed it's the first time either of the children have played in the snow. Both George and Charlotte appear to be having a wonderful time and both look absolutely adorable.
Kate's had her white ski jacket by E + O for a decade. Her ski pants are by the same brand and are another piece she's had in her closet for years. Below we see the Duchess wearing both pieces on a 2012 holiday to Méribel.
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| Hello! Magazine |
Another look at Kate wearing the jacket in 2009.
Monique Jessen identified Kate's hat as the Esiber Pompon Alwin navy hat. It retails for $60.
Kate's boots are the Sorel 1964 Pac 2 style (with thanks to What Kate Wore).
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| Sorel |
Kate's mittens are by Restelli (with thanks to Anna and Books, Birkins & Beauty). Kate's are a past season pair she wore on previous ski trips. There's many similar pairs available on their website.
Kate completed the look with her Kiki McDonough Grace earrings.
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| Kiki McDonough |
Princess Charlotte was cute as a button in white like her mother. The Princess wore the £28 John Lewis Baby Wadded Snowsuit. It features cute ears on the hood and a cosy faux fur trim. Finished with a button through front for easy on and off. Charlotte wore a pretty pink hat and Emu Australia Platinum Baby Booties (with thanks to Prince George Pieces).
Big brother Prince George looked adorable in his snowsuit by high street retailer Mountain Warehouse. The £25 navy suit is described: "Pockets as well as adjustable and elasticated cuffs, ankles and waist makes this a great practical and weatherproof garment, ideal for fun in the snow."
A lovely set of photos, we hope the Cambridge family had a wonderful holiday. :)
We'll see William and Kate on Thursday for a series of engagements focused on efforts to prevent suicide.
We'll see William and Kate on Thursday for a series of engagements focused on efforts to prevent suicide.
TOO cute!
ReplyDeleteI've waited all day on your post on these latest pictures! You've become my go-to due to your professionalism and quality of information. :)
ReplyDeleteFirst, how awesome that we get to see them in such a relaxed way and enjoying the snow! I'm thankful they shared part of their private vacation with us.
Charlotte has 2 teeth! She DOES remind me of pictures of the queen but also of Carole Middleton. It's hard to see anything but cuteness though because she is so wrapped up against the cold.
Prince George is as cute as ever and William and Kate have always looked very natural together and that is a good sign. :)
Now, just out of curiosity, why do you think they posted vacation pictures at a time when William is being criticized (wrongfully so in my opinion) for being lazy/"work-shy"? Just curious as to everyone's thoughts on this and the possible, if any, backlash.
And, on a petty but slightly entertaining note, when the official British Monarchy site first released these pictures they made several, uncharacteristic mistakes and had to edit and re-post multiple times. They would get something wrong and try to correct it with further mistakes over and over. It was comical in a way. Reassuring that apparently anyone, ANYONE, can make multiple mistakes! Lol :)
Again, love the pictures and am thankful I got to see them.
They are beautiful pictures. As for why they were released, I think it was a brilliant idea to be simply transparent. Harry also went skiing recently. As did Edward and Sophie and the kids. William does work and has had some royal engagements plus more lined. Honestly they have nothing to be ashamed of. Isn't this what the public wants? More pics of the kids and a little info on how they are growing up? Bravo. Good move.
DeleteThis was SUCH a treat to see! I hope they continue this type of photo session/release. Lovely of them to share a glimpse of their private family vacation with us! They do look like any normal, unroyal sweet family on a ski trip don't they?!
Delete@USAroyalfan: I wondered about that too. My guess is that had they not done this & paparazzi photos emerged of their time away, it would have stirred the pot even more amongst the bad/work-shy press swirling around them as of late. The fact they invited a (trusted) member of the press along & then shared this with the public...a smart move on their part to pacify the press & public perhaps? Because they would've gone on holiday anyway, bad press or not...this was like a compromise of doing it on their terms yet easing the sting for the press a bit. Maybe?? ;-)
Whatever the reason I'm stoked! :-)
I had thought the same thing. There's a high chance they would've been spotted and that would've really given the bad press a field day of material.
DeleteLive your life your way, Cambridges. You are not 1st in line to the throne, that day will come soon enough. From what I've read you bring far more financial gain to your country than you require. So, you do you, as they say! :)
Hard to say always - it could have been planned all along but as I said in the preceding post - the royal family tends to be more reactive than proactive - and it wouldn't be the first time they have tried to stem some negative publicity with something the public will see as positive.
DeleteAnd positive it is - delightful photos.
Charlotte's little baby teeth! She's adorable, and looks more like George in these pictures than I had thought before. I'm a sucker for babies in snowsuits. George continues to be the spitting image of Michael Middleton, IMO.
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures of Kate and Will having a snowball fight, too!
Haah, Charlotte looks like a little snowman in her white suit! :D
DeleteI am SO in love with these pictures! Nice family pictures, finally a picture with William holding Charlottte. But I have to say, the snow ball fight pictures between William and Kate are just amazing!! Especially the one where they're holding on to eachother. Precious. I love the families matching hats!!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I know there has been discussion before about Charlottes eyes. They kind of look different in these pictures as well. I wonder if she has inherited Kate's cameleon eyes :P Because hers can sometimes look brown, sometimes green and sometimes gray. Maybe Charlotte has those but with a more blue undertone?
How nice that William and Kate got to go for this long weekend without people finding out beforehand. And I like that they did this photocall thing without having bunches of photographers going with. Seems like a nice compromise.
By the way, I think the BRF and SRF are conspiring to kill me today. A few hours after the Cambridges pictures, the SRF shared the first picture of Prince Oscar. I'm not okay :P Too many feelings at once!
And before people say it, yes, this is a smart move to do after the negativity the last weeks. But I wouldn't rule out that this has been in the plans for quite a while. It seems to fit their newer pattern where they are trying to grow more comfortable with sharing pics of the kids.
Congratulations on your Prince Oascar!❤😊
Delete*Oscar
DeleteHere I am giggling at the Monarchy's mistakes.... ;)
I don't see a photo of William holding Charlotte.
DeleteI like that William and Kate really continue to enjoy each other--something we didn't see often with Charles and Diana, especially this long into their relationship. Their little family is adorable and I bet it makes William so happy, considering his background. They seem like such a strong team together. I like the way they surprise us with photos while keeping their privacy--no over exposure of any of them (lessons learned from the past).
DeleteGreat pics with the kids. But I disagree that this was a smart move after the negativity / "laziness" issue. It looks staged and forced.
DeleteRebecca, I suspect you are correct about PC's eye color. Only time will tell because she is so young but the color does seem to have a variable quality depending on the light and surrounding colors.
DeleteCongrats on prince oscar!
DeleteI just had the same feeling: are the cambridges trying to kill me with this extreme cuteness?
So there is a pic of William holding Charlotte? That would be great indeed
@Rebecca: Congratulations on the new little Swedish Prince Oscar!
DeleteAnon 16.47. In a way they don't seem like a smart move. But if the press had figured out that they were on vacation later on the headlines would be very negative. This way, they themselves tell that they're on vacation which avoids the "BUSTED!" headlines from the media and gives a sweetness feeling instead. And yeah, ofc they look staged. It's really hard to not look staged in front of cameras unless you're a very professional actor. I think they look surprisingly relaxed, especially when they are not trying to wrangle the kids at the same time :P
DeleteRebecca - Prince Oscar is so adorable and I can see both of his parents in his little face. If he is anything like Estelle the next few years will be fun to watch. It is so interesting to see the differences in how different royal families handle the press presence in their lives. I wish that the BRF was closer to some of the European royal families. I think it would give William and Catherine a sounding board full of people who have experienced many of the things William and Catherine are now. Plus can you imagine how fabulous it would be to see Catherine, Maxima, Mary and Victoria all together at a white tie function? I wouldn't be opposed to Max's jewelry perspective rubbing off on Catherine either.
DeleteCongrats on Prince Oscar! Picture is too cute. Some in another site are bashing the Cambridges for posting "month old ski trip pictures when everyone knew that CP Victoria was going to release pictures if the baby this week". What? I had to make a comment there of course LOL
DeleteI say double the delight!
DB
DB - I saw those comments. The sad thing is there are other theories just as ridiculous all over the internet. I think Oscar is adorable and then George and Charlotte were cute as buttons in their pictures. Seeing the two of them made me more excited about when the SRF will release the first real family photos with Oscar and Estelle. She is a real character. George also seems to be a real character. Could you imagine the cuteness overload and shenanigans Estelle and George could get into together?
DeleteCertainly double delight and congratulations to Rebecca and everyone in Sweden - Oscar is too precious for words.
Delete
Delete"Also, I know there has been discussion before about Charlottes eyes. They kind of look different in these pictures as well. I wonder if she has inherited Kate's cameleon eyes :P Because hers can sometimes look brown, sometimes green and sometimes gray. Maybe Charlotte has those but with a more blue undertone?"
She's still a baby. I would wait a while longer because by the time she's a full year old, her eye color will be more stable.
What wonderful pictures of this adorable family. One is more beautiful than the other. Charlotte and George are just precious, and William and Kate gorgeous. They look so happy together. A great way to start the week, thanks Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures! They all look so happy. :-)
DeleteI think too they planned this trip a while and because of Mother's day, it was one more reason to publish them.
ReplyDeleteI think this set of pics I like most. I don't know why maybe the wintry scene, they all look cute and happy. Charlotte reminds me of the Queen so much.
On the other hand I have my doubts these pics will help to settle down this uproar. But let's hope they come around and we will see them more out and about.
I agree that I think these are the best official pictures of them. My second favourite are the brithday photos for Georges 1st birthday. They are actually taken by the same guy, so I hope they continue to use him!
DeleteThere is no uproar.
DeleteThey are cute little kids, aren't they.
DeleteBut, Cecilia, there is an uproar. Or controversy. Or little kerfuffle. Either way, William's in the crosshairs.
Cecilia
DeleteGood to know. You must have read other duchess sites then. There is peace and quiet there for sure.
People magazine has a photo of Princess Charlotte alone with Prince William. He is holding her. It seems like such a sweet daddy/daughter moment.
ReplyDeleteLOVE THESE PICTURES!!XOXO
ReplyDeleteGood pictures but I have to disagree with you when you say the timing of the pics was perfect...I actually think it was bad timing considering the flak they have taken for not working enough
ReplyDeletePlus why didn't they go during the month of January when they had no engagements?
William was flying in January since after Kate's birthday. The timing is not "perfect" but a smart move. It respects the public's demand for photos but does not compromise their privacy. William has been out and about and has engagements lined up. I am glad they took this family holiday. Save Balmoral, they haven't really gone anywhere since Charlotte was born. They look so happy!
DeleteI think they had this planned in advance. Perhaps as a Mother's Day gift to Kate. The photos are very sweet and oh my the children are growing so fast.
DeleteI wonder if they got together with any of the rest of the RF who I think went skiing also, or even the Midfletons.
Gorgeous pictures, snow captured beautifully! Loved that they released both family-of-four and W &C as-couple pics. I have to say: Charlotte looks SO much like William and Harry, she's a Windsor while Middleton genes predominate in P. George (and a tad of William, but Grandad Michael overshadowed everyone in the genetic roulette!). Anyhow, we are all grandmoms on this website: "He/she looks just like....."! Let the debates begin. Silvia.
ReplyDeleteHaah, genetics is such a facinating thing!
DeleteIt really is! It's a wonderful, magical, almost alchemical mystery! :) Silvia
DeleteI agree. In the picture where William is holding Charlotte, you can especially see the resemblance, but George is the spitting image of his maternal grandfather just with blonder hair.
DeleteFantastic photos! This appears to be a very happy, cohesive family. Many predicted photos of the children would be released to change the conversation, and I think they were right. Whether this was the reason, it was a smart decision and lovely gesture. What a lovely Mother's Day weekend for Kate!
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are so cute and really show the love this young family has for each other. Such a special treat and a great way to include the press on controlled terms. It is a nice treat that they shared the private family time with the world.
ReplyDeleteThey are so great together and I love the snowball fight. I would do that with my husband too.
Thanks Charlotte. I came to read the post from this week and was pleasantly surprised with this post.
Hello everyone,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely treat to see these adorable photos of the family I can't believe how much George and Charlotte have grown and I absolutely love the playful pictures of William and Catherine. These photos really capture the playful, loving, atmosphere that I think we can all agree has been something they firmly feel they needed to establish!
Also I am thrilled that they have done a photo shoot and release like this it is very reminiscent of what many of the European royals do and we have all been saying they should do something similar for so long. I am so glad to see it and I hope it is something they continue!
Thanks for the quick informative post Charlotte! :)
I think the snowball fight pics are in the wrong order. First is Kate throwing and William getting hit. Next is William holding Kate. Then the two with arms around each other. Just my theory! Absolutely precious photos! Thanks for your quick work! DWLee333, Bend, Oregon
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos !!!
ReplyDeleteThey all look so happy...
Ok I saw a photo of William holding Charlotte on another site, so now I see what you are saying. =)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos. Of course there will be complaints of doing away with photocalls but looking back on the acrimony they engendered during the Charles and Diana days I for one prefer these. I remember wincing at Charles remonstrating with Diana about covering her face at one such call or fooling around with Fergie. And Diana asking photographers to leave her, William and Harry alone as they ate lunch. I really think William is making his own way and an important point too
ReplyDeleteGreat point, Valerie. I don't think PW & PC (although I suspect PW is the opinion that drives this matter) are being given enough credit for an innovative, fresh and modern approach to releasing photos. They're approach combines both the lessons of the past and modern exigencies. Giving praise is important where praise is due (and constructive & firm yet polite critique when needed, such as in recent assessments of PW's duties, although yes, not everyone was "polite."). Thanks, Charlotte, it was really great to wake up to these!! Silvia
DeleteWhat great pictures! - thanks so much for sharing - (I do think Charlotte has the look of the Queen about her).
ReplyDeleteLove how W&K have this mock snow ball fight and their usual playfulness about them - it's one of their endearing qualities. How this stands up against the timing of all the media bating - only time will tell and the papers response. They're a fickle lot - so they may start fawning over the adorable images of the kids and move on from William? lol maybe....
Knowing William and Kate, I'm not sure how "mock" that snowball fight was :P It might have started out like that... :P
DeleteMr D, how I wish your last comment would come true!!! :-) It would be so nice for these images to be received with pure positivity. They make my rainy Monday morning so much brighter!
DeleteYes Rebecca - probably started out like a good idea but ended in a snowball fight lol
DeleteFantastic photos!
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love these pictures. What a beautiful and happy family. I sincerely hope they enjoyed every snowflake, sip of hot cocoa and, of course, every cuddle with their little ones.
ReplyDeleteLovely, unexpected surprise! Nothing like the French Alps as a photographic backdrop. Ive been hoping they would embrace releasing family photos on vacation as many European royals.
ReplyDeletePrincess Charlotte looks so different now. She and PG, obviously, look like siblings but she seems to resemble him less now. She reminds me a little of Sweden's Princess Leonore but that's neither here nor there.
Does anyone else think the DoC is wearing diamond solitaire earrings? They seem to be set higher than the Kiki Geace earrings.
Haha, I think they are the Grace earrings, but if they are diamonds William must have been taking a cue from this blogs comment section ;)
DeleteThey are the Grace earrings :-( I took a better look. I was excited for one great moment. I thought our suggestion had reached William's ears finally .
DeleteOh I hope so. Wouldn't that be lovely. I have for so long been wanting William to get Kate a beautiful pair of diamond stud earrings. I don't know that I would wear them for playing in the snow thought.
DeleteMaybe not , anon, but can you imagine the sparkle they would get from the reflection of the sun off the snow :-)
DeleteAhhh, true Erika. She would need to get them fully insured, and then, enjoy.
DeleteCute cute photos. George does look like Michael but I also think he look very very much like William. Charlotte I am not sure of, she is gorgeous whomever she is going to take after. they all look relaxed. DO you think the jacket and pants Catherine is wearing are actually the original pieces or new buys. The white jacket is very pristine for being a 10 year old piece. My white ski jackets never look that great after even one season. Red ski pants can be tricky also. Glad they escaped for some private time. ali
ReplyDeleteI think George is a combination of William and Michael, and Charlotte resembles Carole.
DeleteThis might be a duplicate. Sorry if is. Great photos. Cute, cute. Think George looks very much like William. Can not tell whom Charlotte is looking like but she is gorgeous. Not sure if Catherine's jacket is the original from 10 years ago as it is very pristine for a whit ski jacket. My white ski jackets do not look like that even after one season, nor would my red ski wear. Maybe she has just purchased new ones of the same style? Anyway thrilled they could get away for some private family time. Ali
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is these are the most adorable family photos EVER!! So glad they are able to get away and have fun as a family. The children are growing up so fast. Love how the Duke and Duchess still have a great time with each other and are able to have a bit of snow ball fun with each other. Love them!!
ReplyDeleteFirst time poster here! Delightful photos but (sorry to be negative) I don't think publishing photos from a luxury holiday (however short) is a smart move after criticism about their work ethic. I think PR at KP needs a shake up as they are missing the rapidly changing mood 'of the people'.
ReplyDeleteHi Rose, welcome to the group! Do you live in England? I wonder because you mention the "rapidly changing mood of the people." The people I know in England are very neutral about the monarchy. And a skiing holiday in France for a weekend is not exactly luxury for many upper middle class in England although I would agree with you if it were a private jet. Again it is "danged if you do, danged if you don't." They are sharing photos of their children which those who still care about the monarchy have been asking for. Ordinary typical family photos like I see on FB all of the time. Are they doing this on the public's dime? No more than the CEO of the companies I have shares in do. The Firm is the Firm, has been for years. And the day that the British 'people' vote them out, they will go quietly.
DeleteWelcome to the comment section and hope to see more of you :D
DeleteThey should not pander to the tabloid press. William does work both with his flying and in his royal role, in spite of what they say. Harry and the Wessexes also went on ski holidays, as do many Brits. Better be honest and share these photos than be photographed by paparazzi. I think it is a generous and genuine move.
DeleteI agree Rose. I was surprised to see these photos. Firstly, I think their holidays are private--they should be allowed to enjoy and not feel the need to send out photos. Secondly, they are getting a ton of bad press right now, and this does not seem to be the way to make it better. Oh sure, send out cute pictures of the kids and people will be happy with them again. I don't think it works that way when the photos are from holiday, and they are being criticized for not working enough! The whole thing seems ill timed, and I fear will give them continued bad press. There is no way for us to ever know how much work they do behind the scenes. Would I like them to be more visible? Yes. But I also think that we best not criticize when we truly have no idea what their day to day lives are like.
DeleteRose, welcome. I think it is a natural thing to release the photos. I think the vacay was planned a while ago anyway. William isn't work shy and he doesn't have to try to remediate the mess the media got themselves into.
DeleteI agree with Valerie. In Britain, we really don't think about the royal family much, even if we are royalists.
DeleteI don't think that William really cares that much about what the press writes about him. That is why he feels comfortable enough to release the photos now. As for more duties I also feel that William should be more visible. I can believe that he is indeed working behind the scenes but unless he is visible the public can never know for sure.
DeleteValerie - the people in the UK are not neutral about the monarchy. If you consider Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in addition to England you'll get a very mixed bag of strong opinions. Even in England where there is a distinct North/South divide (in privilege and cultural and economic differences) and Australia has brought up the Republican debate again. It's becoming ever more important for the Royal family to tread lightly and be diplomatic with their public image especially in this time of unrest and general low mood. Their holiday wasn't just a skiing holiday - it was by private jet to an upmarket resort so still out of reach for many people and so yes, a luxury for most. A quick look at the newspapers will show you they're taking a "work shy" spin on this story already. But yes, damned if you do, damned if you don't.
DeleteI am sure he is working behind the scenes but visibility is what counts with the public. If he were to do a video about, say, a week in his life, such as Charles
Deletehas done, it would go a long way toward
the general public realizing what he does
do that goes unrecognized.
Anon 22:19. I based my opinion on what I experience when I am over there--usually once a year. I am not familiar with Wales but I am familiar with Scotland and both Irelands and, of course, England. Scotland voted to stay with England two years ago--my paternal grandparents would have probably skipped the vote, too busy with day-to-day life to care. The Republican movement has less to do with the "Royal family" than England itself. An argument that would be too long to discuss in this forum. I come from a family (on my mother's side) that was part of the 1916 Easter Uprising by the way not that they would have publicly admitted it. I didn't see that as indictment of the Royal Family but of the English government itself. Still see it that way--I don't blame the current RF for the problems back then or now. They are not the government, figureheads only. And, if you believe KP (which you may not) W & K paid the holiday themselves. As I said before, the RF is a Firm and in any Firm the CEOs do as they please until the stockholders vote them out. Which may yet happen and, truthfully, I think that William will be fine when they do. Unless the new gov't votes to strip them of all of their money (after all, even the long-deposed Greek royal family lives fairly well), they will be wealthy enough not to care.
DeleteI love the pics! But I wonder why George never smiles haha in the last pic his smile looks forced but maybe he is just shy. Anyway, I love the pics I really do but I don't think it's a smart move to release them right now after all the bad press about your lack of work, but I guess that is what the PR team told them to do.
ReplyDeleteI just wish we had these set of pics AFTER the hard work.
What a subjective term "hard work" is. It could be said that none of the royals work hard.Why single out Will and Kate? Because they refuse to pander to the media. When Piers Morgan complains, they must be doing something right.
DeleteYou DO have them after the hard work, 17:41.
DeleteAmen, Valerie.
DeleteAnon 19:35, people single out W&K because they do less work than other royals. It's a fact, should they be doing more work is really the question. I believe William wants his cake and to eat it too in regards to the media. Like it or not, the media is how the Royal family connects with the public for the most part, it doesn't mean the media needs every detail of their lives, but such careful control is not really possible over a long period of time.
DeletePrince George always looks slightly pissed and I think it's hilarious. Makes you wonder how much tickling had to happen to get smiles from some the previous pics.
DeleteKatie, HYSTERICAL!!!!!! :-)
DeleteKatie,
DeleteThat makes me wonder if he has heard his parents berating photographers and the media. I hope not. George doesn't need any inherited bias. They can discuss their feelings about the paparazzi and media in private. George doesn't need that in his early childhood development. He was glaring defiantly at the photographer outside the church at Charlotte's christening. That had to come from somewhere.
"Glaring defiantly"? Nonsense.
DeleteLOL, Katie. I think George is one of those curious little boys who is not easily impressed. But I love his smile in the first photo, don't you? :)
DeleteOr maybe he has a "resting bitch face"? I have been told I have one if I am not making a conscious attempt to smile. Or maybe he didn't want to stop playing in the snow to pose for the pictures and that is why he is upset. At the christening maybe he was making sure his siter was okay. There are a million reasons he could have had those expressions on his face and willfully believing the worst just proves my reply further down the post today. It isn't like George is 7 or 8 years old then maybe the assumption being made might be able to be sold. He is young enough that assigning Machiavellian motives to not only his parents, but himself it a little ridiculous. I can stomach people saying things like that about William and Catherine much easier than I can when people move to assign negative motives or reasons behind a child's behavior.
DeleteI'm not sure if you are right, anon 2:35. Some children may be overwhelmed of such a mass of unfamiliar people, others maybe find it funny and others, like George, think it probably unnerving and react with glaring defiantly. In my opinion only naturell. :) And I can't imagine, that Kate and William discuss mediaproblems in front of their kids.
DeleteI wouldn't read to much into it anon 02.35. Most kids are not very fond about standing still and pose for pictures, even less so when you're exploring snow for the first time!
DeleteAlso, glaring defiantly? I mostly looked confused and like he was trying to get his mind around all the new impressions and people he was getting at the time.
Lovely photos of a joyful family, thank you Miss Charlotte. I still think Princess Charlotte looks like her Great-Gran, the Queen.
ReplyDeleteThat is Mrs Charlotte nowdays ;)
Deletecute, Rebecca. :)
DeleteHello everyone,
ReplyDeleteUpdating the post now with additional photos. They are gorgeous family portraits :)
So adorable! Even though it's a photo shoot full of staged family photos that have been carefully selected and won't help relations with the reporters/photogs, I still think they're great. Really nice to see the whole family!
ReplyDeleteOn a completely different note, I was watching The Good Wife last night in the US and the main character, Alicia, was wearing Kate's much discussed plaid Michael Kors suit. I only know the suit because Kate wore it. ;)
All they can do is love their kids and each other. They are not responsible for making all of the UK happy. The media will never be happy unless they are reporting on marriage problems and unhappiness. A happy family doesn't sell.
ReplyDeleteVERY simply and nicely said 18:42.
DeleteAdorable!!
ReplyDeleteDo you suppose Kate uses a high quality copy of her engagement ring?
Today was the first time I thought of it. How horrible it would be to lose a stone in the snow!
She probably doesn't have it on when skiing. These are posed pictures so the ring makes sense for them. We have seen her before going about her daily buissness with just the wedding band at times. But appearantly Diana had a copy of the ring so maybe Kate uses it at times as well.
DeleteAlso, I noticed that she has another band now that she wears with the engagement ring. So she has the Welsh gold one on one side of it and another hopefully tightly secure band on the other side of it as extra protection against loss and it may help the engagement ring to not turn so much on her finger. She may also have had a copy made to wear for everyday activities, like bathing the children, in the pool, etc. If I were her I know I would have. I admit I have a very, very nice replica of Kate's engagement ring that I purchased from QVC at the time of their wedding, Their quality control was excellent on the ring and I think it is such an excellent replica. They took every effort to make it as close to resembling in every way Kate's ring. It is a substantial ring. If she has gotten a replica made that is close to this then she has a good replica. I know that I read articles around the time of the wedding that said there were people willing to pay above $500,000
Deletedollars should that ring ever become available. Of course the ring in priceless in the hearts of William, Harry and Kate and will never ever go on sale I pray but stay within the family forever.
Kate wears an enternity rig given to her by William as a push gift after Georgecwas born.
DeleteI never ever read about Diana having a copy of her engagement ring. And I think Kate wears it, even on occasions like this, for exactly the reason William wanted her to have THIS ring...for Diana to be a part of their lives.
DeleteI agree RF. glad she has the other band to help secure her engagement ring.
DeleteLovely photographs of a happy family. What a fun few days they had. And what a treat for us. I thought there would be photos released around mothering Sunday and am thrilled they were unexpectedly different. Lovely to see them in a totally different environment. Thank you so much Charlotte great post.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are adorable. They seem very natural and candid. I really believe Catherine is most beautiful dressed down, like the ski clothes, and the chemistry her and Will have shines through when they aren't buttoned up aloof. The children are beautiful and they make a lovely family. William and Catherine's faces look more unburdened than I Have seen them in ages. These photos are everything the Testino ones were not. The cold air also pinked up their faces and made them all glow and look healthy and happy. I firmly believe that when you have children you should still try and connect with your spouse. You can tell the two of them still enjoy being around each other.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. I was most excited to see the PDA between them. I think this is the most 'loved up' they appear in pictures and think they chose well IMO.
DeleteThe pictures where they stand side by side and not touch just look a bit odd to me. These are much more natural.
Amen, Courtney. Totally agree.
DeleteThese photos are my new favorites. :)
I bristle when people throw comments around about them not "deserving" a holiday. Does anyone really deserve a holiday? I honestly don't believe my generation, I am right around 30, is the hardest working generation so do we "deserve" holidays when we can directly look back at how hard our grandparents worked, especially during the two wars? If people do have to earn a holiday, who makes the choice that they deserve it? Everyone has different ideas on what hard work is, or working enough is, so the decisions would vary based on who you asked.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe for one minute this trip was planned last minute to combat the recent bad press. Perhaps they released multiple photos to combat it instead of one or two like they normally do. I really believe this has been in the works since before Mustique.
William and Catherine are only human and I think sometimes people hold them to a higher standard because of the family he was born into. They have made mistakes in the PR game for years and I am not saying they are perfect or that they couldn't do more engagements. I am not a super optimistic person most of the time but even I am shocked by the vitriol spewed at Will and Catherine by some people. There are people who make valid points but then lose credibility by the way they word it or adding catty little comments at the end.
No matter how much time Catherine had before marriage to see the press coverage about them, adjusting to having children can be quite hard sometimes. Then from one to two that close together takes a lot of adjustment. Even thought they have a household staff they are still the parents which I really think shines through in these photos, and others we have seen of George and Catherine. The last couple of engagements Catherine has had seem to be different than the ones that have come before. She seems to be more sure of herself, comfortable around those she sees during engagements. I think she might be starting to hit her stride. We shall see and only time will tell but regardless of number of engagements look at the smiles on all of their faces.
Whether or not you believe Catherine and Will deserve a holiday those children deserve to be happy. They deserve to have parents, as do all children, who are engaged in their lives and try to enrich their little lives with things that will someday become their most cherished memories. The preparations for the tour will being full swing at this point and I think this little family weekend away was at a good time. Maybe not PR wise but I think this could be a good sort of tradition for them before tours. A little time away with the children, somewhere the paparazzi isn't, before they leave for however long. Children don't understand tours and business trips so these family weekends provide some reassurance for both children and parents. Before my husband deploys, or leaves for extended training in foreign countries, we try and get away with our children shortly before he leaves.
Now that my children are a bit older they end up talking about the fun things we did for months after he leaves. We have a short weekend away and a long weekend scheduled this month and my husband and children are so excited. With all of the talk of the monarchy being less popular and relevant as time goes on this is something that won't go away. Being parents and giving your children a loving, stable environment to grow and thrive in will continue to be important the rest of George and Charlotte's lives no matter the uncertainty of anything else.
Maybe I am just tired of the constant negativity in the news but I am going to enjoy the photos and not look for ulterior motives.
Amen Courtney, and Thank you. I feel the same way you do about these things. I feel so sorry for W/K having to have the vitriol spewed at them as you say. That was a good way to put it. Thankfully, it isn't William or Kate's first rodeo with the media and I am so happy William has "learned from mistakes made in the past" and is building a loving, strong family unit that is not traumatized by the media circus like his was growing up. So happy to hear that you and your family have getaways also. Thank your husband for me please for his service to our country. :)
DeleteWell done Courtney of NC. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Best wishes and thanks to your husband for his service.
DeleteMake it a great day.
RW.
I think they deserve a holiday as much as anyone, but W&K want to control the media in a way that I think is not going to serve them well over time.
DeleteThank you, Courtney. Your husband and children are blessed to have such a loving and thoughtful wife and mom. And we are blessed to have your kind thoughts and the service of your husband. With gratitude,
DeleteAnon - 2105 - I had a huge response typed up and the internet ate it. Ugh. So I will just try and summarize. It isn't odd to me that he would want to try and control the media as much as they are able. As parents I think it is quite normal. His issues with the press didn't start when his mother died. There were many issues before then and innumerable ones since then. He is trying to protect his family as well as himself.
DeleteI understand what you are saying and perhaps this isn't the best PR move but I don't doubt he is doing it because he thinks it is best for his family. I don't think he can be faulted for that.
RW -- Thank you!
DeleteAnon 2000 - I have no problems with debates and when a person is on the different side of an issue than I am on. My issue stems from all the non-constructive criticism and the inability to admit when they do something right. Or even something the very people take issue with had asked for at some point. More photos, more engagements, Catherine to step out of her comfort zone clothing wise, etc. Those things have all happened at one point or another but there it is really hard to tell anything has happened because the gripes change. Comments on some blogs, news sites, etc. become so hateful and often about things William cannot change. The never ending negativity just becomes a bit much. Thank you for your kind words.
Courtney, I second RW's "thank you". You and your family deserve every moment of family time you can enjoy.
DeleteThank you for the kind words, RF.
DeleteMostly, I'm in the mood just to enjoy the photos too - but the problem is - what is a holiday? William apparently took the month of December off from work. To most, that would count as a holiday. I actually think this skiing holiday is fine - where the problem comes to my mind is mixing royal life - with the blurry lines of time off and royal work that exist with a "real" job which normally carries set amounts of holiday time - but this is a new year so we will see what the rest of the year brings.
DeleteI am a person who thinks a certain amount of thoughtful criticism can be a positive thing - and the fact that there have been hints that some of William's fellow employees aren't too happy with all the time off may give perspective.
I think what you and your husband do is wonderful, Courtney but as someone who knows miitary families who face long deployments and serparations, I'm not sure that I would put William and Kate's five days in India in that catagory. So I wouldn't really link this holiday with the tour - more that most years William and Kate take a skiing holiday.
We do not know what William and Kate do behind the scenes, etc. Regarding the extent of their work, etc. we are not privy to everything they do nor is the media. So speculation and innuendo, motivated by who knows what, is nothing more than gossip.
ReplyDeleteGossip is defined as, "Casual or unconstrained
conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true."
Hopefully, we here can increase our conversations that are based on true facts, not speculation or innuendo, or just sour grapes from the media.
We all went through 7th and 8th grades, right? Then it should be obvious that the "William doesn't work enough" mantra is a direct, very direct childish reaction from the media because Kate collaborated with the Huffington Post, not that the media really ever needs a reason to rag on William.
Maybe they say he doesn't work enough because he doesn't actually do many engagements.
Deleteyou don't know how much he works behind the scenes either, in addition to his rescue work.
DeleteAnd neither do you 2251. If he did more in public that would diffuse the critics. It's not that difficult, really. If he chooses to perform behind the scenes work out of a sense of personal fulfillment, I think that's wonderful. He's said to visit Centrepoint away from the press. But when he's being criticised for (a) not working much as a royal AND (b) not pulling his weight at EAAA, AND (c) lying about it, then that's a man who doesn't consider much except himself. Not a great trait in a man who's supposed to serve the public although he doesn't seem to have much of a problem taking from said public.
DeleteOne perspecitve to take on this though is that if William and Kate do few engagemments and yet fill up their time with preparation, how do royals who do many more egagements prepare for them? There is certainly no sense that the queen or Philip or Charles go into engagements unprepared - so I can't think the large amount of free time William and Kate have is spent mostly in behind the scenes work - although some may go into planning.
DeleteYes, the negative articles are certainly a response to the Huffington Post but leaving yourself vulnerable is always a risk - we're back to kicking at the rattlesnake. They might report negative things anyway but if you intentionally antagonise them - they certainly will. I only hope William and Kate don't have a really serious crisis or issue of some kind until they mend their fences with the press. It's better to make peace than play games with may backfire in the end - there's plenty of news out there without the royals -but the royal family needs favourable press to survive.
I thought in previous pictures that Charlotte looked just like granny Carole. If you look at Queen Elizabeth's pictures about that age, their faces are identical. I think they have done a really good job releasing periodic photos of their family to the public while maintaining some "control" or "say". Kudos to them for finding the balance!! LOVELY, LOVELY family.
ReplyDeleteTammy, I still see Granny Carole. :))
DeleteAwwww so precious!
ReplyDeleteOh my! This just made my day and am thrilled they had a "secrete" escape. Each picture was better than the last.
ReplyDeleteExcellent photos and post!
ReplyDeleteLove that Charlotte is looking staright to the camera! :D
I see the Queen Mother in Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteMe too!!!
DeleteI think William and Kate must have had an opportunity to do a ski run or two as they have their goggles on.
ReplyDeleteI'll try to be brief :) Obviously the children look adorable but I don't like the snowball fight photo, looks awfully staged like a catalogue shoot. ( sorry Rebecca!)
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine what's been going on inside KP recently, all the bad press and they knew a holiday was coming up on top of everything. They clearly thought releasing some pics would deflect holiday news. But I'm not sure after all the criticism releasing pics of a luxury ski trip was smart.
And I think readers will spend 60 secs oohing and awing and then say, hold on, he's on holiday? I think this will backfire on them. Some rather scathing opinion pieces out already.
They have an enormous optics problem right now.
I'll now get a hard hat and prepare for incoming ;)
I don't get why Harry and Kate are getting a free pass from the work shy label
DeleteWould you have them live in a bubble and only come out when the media says its ok. Who could live like that? I doubt any of us would want to.Families take vacations. End of story.
DeleteI don't know, Claudia. They haven't been on vacation since PC was born, and who can begrudge young children playtime in the snow. They are extremely privileged people, so no one should be shocked by a long weekend in the Alps. Im sure they had planned this trip awhile ago and should not have had to call it off because of recent bad press. I will agree that PW does need to be visible when he returns.
DeleteI am with you Claudia. There is going to be a backlash but honestly I don't think that anyone in KP is worried about that because the monarchy is rock solid in the UK, or so they think.
DeleteAs for the photo shoot these are beautiful pictures and Charlotte looks a lot like William as a child. I thought the snowball fight photo was pretty staged - if they wish to appear spontaneous or carefree perhaps a sled ride or giving George a lesson would be good next time.
Guess they think their supporters are easily distracted by shiny things ie. Kate's hair and clothes and (admittedly) charming family photos.
DeleteI wish their history of shirking duties, lying to the public, and using PR and damage control whenever negative stories arise didn't get in the way of enjoying these pictures - because they seriously are fun and sweet.
But, they have made their bed, so they will have to lay in it until they get the people's trust back, I guess.
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DeleteClaudia, I think what is happening is those who are fine with what the Cambridges are doing are looking at the pictures, smiling, wishing we were on a ski holiday, too. Those who aren't fine with their activity in general will react as you wrote. I don't think these images will change most people. I woke up this morning, saw these happy Cambridge faces and Prince Oscar's gorgeous picture, and it all really did make my morning. Yeah, maybe I need to get a life! :-)
DeleteI've closely followed the BRF for over 30 years, so I've seen all of the drama. I would love to see them all more (including Harry), but that will come. I'm really happy they can get involved in heavy issues on a lighter level, Do the ribbon cutting/pomp & circumstance types of engagements, raise their kids, and go along with whatever the powers-that-be at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House appear to be backing. I'm not hoping for a change any time soon as that would likely be due to someone's deteriorating health. So...until something within the BRF changes to cause the Cambridges to increase their roles dramatically, I am happy with what we get to see now.
I really appreciated reading your thoughts on this as you articulated an opinion that is quite different than mine, but it read as real concern in a caring tone. I hope you don't get any of the "incoming" you are anticipating -- you don't deserve it!
I’m happy to see a happy royal family! I recall the Wales’ marriage & how it ended, & a few short years later, the loss of the boys’ mother. I have no idea how the royals manage all they do and keep a sane mind. They are “on” always & almost can’t do anything right. Prince William has been through a lot in his life. He has a lovely wife & family & knows how life was growing up, & he’s not about to let the same thing happen again. Remember, William was his mother’s protector.
DeleteThis family is & will be such an asset to the BRF. The only drama with the Cambridges is the love they have for one another & their children.
Prince Harry will, at some time, marry & have children, taking away the camera, every so slightly off the Cambridges every moment, & all will be well in the media.
Yankee from CA: Well said. Thank you.
DeleteClaudia, they go on vacation around this time of year and if they didn't go this time it would have implied that they DID do something wrong. And the fact that THEY released photos prevented it from being a "gotcha". Given the recent coverage, I think it was/is very important for them to carry on.
DeleteErika and Yankee, I do agree with your comments.
Anon 1:53, very good point about Harry. When he gets married, it will take a bit of the pressure off W&K.
I definitely agree with you Claudia.
DeleteIt's a difficult situation - I'm sure many of us think that they shouldn't have to cancel their holiday because of bad press...but this has been a pretty rough couple of weeks for them and it doesn't look good that they went on holiday in response to that. Even if it was planned a while ago. I nearly had to pinch myself when I saw they had released "holiday photos". After all the bad press about being "workshy", would you seriously consider going on holiday??? And even if you did still go...why release the photos? If they hadn't released the photos no one would have known they had gone and they could have avoided exacerbating the situation.
And even if the photos are cute, the press are not reporting on them in the way they would have a year ago. Something has changed. Rebecca English's article on the photos was far from complimentary. Again, either KP is mis-managed, or William just doesn't care. People on here say William is playing the "long game". But it's hard to get rid of labels once they are placed. Some people still think Kate is "workshy" and that she never really "worked" while dating William. Admittedly, she also hasn't done anything to remove that label either.
Claudia--I am in my mid-60s. My husband is still working because he doesn't feel we have enough retirement money yet, although we live in a great house in Arizona and we could take trips if he didn't hate flying :) Anyway, this said, a few of my pals that I grew up with in working class Montreal have enough money now that they are currently off in Australia and New Zealand having the time of their lives and posting photos on FB. They also take regular cruises and generally live the high life. Do I envy them--darned tooting! Do I begrudge them their good fortune? Nope. And I think most level-headed people feel the same way. It is a diverse world, rich and poor. Some wealthy people do more with their money "publicly," some do it quietly and you never know until much later and some keep it all and buy solid gold loo seats.
DeleteAlso, I think maybe we are all victims of the celebrity mentality--celebrities make their bread and butter through the Press (for many, it is the ONLY way they could ever make their bread and butter.) Thus we feel that if someone is not the Press' darling they are in deep trouble. Truth is, the RF will be out when the Republicans overcome the Monarchists. It has been that way for centuries, long before PR. And, if the RF's time has come (and I don't think it has), all the PR in the world won't save them.
Now Piers Morgan is after them. Oh dear.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3480826/PIERS-MORGAN-Chill-Wills-Kate-getting-just-bit-big-ski-boots.html
Who cares what he thinks? Everyone over reacts to these hacks. I think that William has his priorities straight. Family first.
DeleteI think family first is a great motto but William's motto is "family only".
DeleteI love how a lot of the DM readers--while they are usually anti-W & K--are telling Morgan to buzz off and leave them alone.
Deletelol, 22:15. There is definitely a nasty political agenda behind all this I don't care who agrees.
DeleteTalk about vindictiveness. For those of us who pray, it might be a good time to give William and Kate some fervent, steady prayer coverage. I'm on it. Hope many join in with me.
You can put family first and still have a full.time job it is so insulting when people give William that excuse because it implies people who work hard don't care as much about their families
DeleteAnother DM trashing of the BRF. However, in reading the comments even the readers are after Mr. Morgan. I guess just another so called reporter eating his sour grapes.
DeleteAnon 22:29 what is wrong if he wants family only. I see nothing wrong with that. He does what thecwueen asked them to do. So we are not here to judge him nor Kate.
DeleteThe problem is he is living off public funds trailed by expensive protection officers so damn right he better be working for it same with Kate because the lixary they love in is supposed to be paid for with royal duties
Delete"family only", then William's clone must have done all those tours, visits for the Queen, military and memorial events, Investures, rescues.
DeleteActually, if you look at the "best rated" comments, you'll find many of them agree with the article. One even called William an "arrogant prig", and he is kind of coming across like that.
DeleteHe get bad press for not pulling his weight, then goes on holiday and releases photos of how happy him and his family are. He invites one photographer and the location is "undisclosed". That definitely comes off as arrogant. He really didn't care about the bad press. And he's continually trying to micro-manage what is released in the press about him and his family. I agree the children should be protected, but Williams increasing reluctance to work with the press is beginning to work against him. After all, if he won't work with the press, why should they work with him?
I see Pierre's point. His opinion is not less valid just because it was published in the DM. People regarded Huff Post as an interesting choice after publishing inappropriate things about Kate, still she spent a day or half with them. Who knows next time she had a more controversial one. :-D
DeleteProblem is 01:35 that you want him to work at what you want him to. You are not willing to take that he is working you may just not see it.
DeleteLovely pictures!!! Thanks a lot. It really looks like the whole family had a great time. We came back from a week of skiing yesterday (not in France, though - in our Czech mountains :) . The joyful moments spent together with the kids are so precious - they grow up too quickly! Hopefully, the Cambridges can enjoy many more breaks like this one. Zora
ReplyDeleteThank you Thank you Charlotte for this surprise post. Love it. The children are simply precious. Love the interaction between Will and Kate.
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures, have to say Charlotte looks just like william. Those blue eyes are her grandmothers, be interesting to see her grow up. Nice of them to share them, hard to believe they managed to bring the two children and we got no pics anywhere. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI am SOOO glad we get to see them again, espically the children!!! Charlotte looks so much like Geoege when he was that age!!
ReplyDeleteThis is such an exciting post to read!! Thank you Charlotte!!!!
What a lovely surprise! These pictures are adorable, and I appreciate the Cambridges seeming to become more and more open to the idea of releasing pictures of their private lives for the public to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if someone from the media heard about the vacation somehow and contacted KP about it yesterday or today, leading KP to release the pictures. Otherwise, I'm not sure that it would make sense for them to release the pictures so soon after all of the hoopla about William not working enough. Many of the headlines about these pictures are quite positive, but there are also many negative ones. And after the hoopla over the cuteness of the pictures dies down, people will talk more about the fact that William just took another holiday, I think. That will be the sticking, long-term story imo. After all, they just took a holiday, and after this, William will be in London for several days very soon (and even more if they stick around for the usual St. Patrick's Day engagement. It will bring up the question, again, of when William is doing his air ambulance business. Or why they didn't just go on a trip when William already had an entire month off during December/January. If KP wasn't "forced" to release these pictures, then it's an interesting PR strategy by them. Maybe they thought it was important to show that they had a happy healthy family to emphasize that William's commitment to family over work is important/working? But why not release non-vacation family pictures then?
By the way, my guess is that either the pictures were taken for private use (although I don't know that they would use a PA photographer then), or they were taken for future released pictures, like say, for Charlotte's first birthday.
Additionally, The Prince's Trust Celebrate Success Awards were also tonight. I find it very interesting that the Cambridges released what is a historic set of pictures (for them) on the same night as the Awards for Charles' Prince's Trust. That seems like a horrible lack of coordination between KP and Clarence House, and definitely is yet another indication that Charles and Camilla certainly aren't holding back the Cambridges from working more and being seen out more. These pictures guarantee the Prince's Trust event will receive absolutely no media attention, which is unfortunate.
Maggie, this is not the first time that the Cambridges have released important family pictures on important days for Charles. If my memory is not mistaken George's first birthday pictures and also Charlotte's 6 month ones were around the time that there were things going on with the Prince's Trust. Those paying attention to the public declarations of unhappiness by both Charles and William and the open statements to the media might even think that the timing is intentional.
DeleteMaggie. Why can't you just be happy they released the photos. But no you have to continue to put them down and look to deep into the reason. They have not been on a holiday in a while.
DeleteIf Charles's charity doesn't get proper coverage that is on the press and Charles's PR team. William, Kate and Harry are now being accused of sabotage? How funny...The very thought of poor Charles is laughable. Does he ever act like a father or a grandfather? Not like any that I know....Sure he may have provided financially but being a dad encompasses far more. Remember when William had surgery and Charles went to an engagement while his son was just out of surgery? My dad would never have done that. What goes around comes around.....
DeleteWilliam has every rght to protect his children from the circus that he lived thru. I would be disappointed if he did anything less. As far as workng is concerned, unless all of the facts are known, the press is conducting a witch hunt. Witch hunts are very dangerous as history has shown . So is believing everything you read.
Umm Charles went on the engagement before he knew that William needed surgery so please know your facts
DeleteWith PA taking these photos, I highly doubt they were intended to be private. Likely they knew people would know anyway and so decided to be open about it. And why not? They are entitled to it and are being really kind, IMO. They are beautiful pictures and I hope going skiing will be an annual thing for their family. Most people in their social set do that. Other royals do too.
DeleteHow is it on William, Catherine and Harry if the Princes Trust events aren't publicized or covered by the media? After all the whining some of the royal reporters have been doing you would think they would all be dying to cover the events. I mean if their intentions truly are to have stories to report and not just drama to publicize. Charles has his own PR team and the trust surely does as well. If there wasn't adequate media coverage it should fall on them or on Charles. Not on William, Catherine and Harry. It is not their fault people would rather read about them than Charles or Camilla. Despite the media push to trash them the public would still rather hear from them.
DeleteIt seems that assigning ulterior motives to William and Catherine's actions has become almost a sport. A sport which isn't projected onto most of the other BRF. Makes me wonder why people who think William and Catherine are never altruistic and super skeptical about them aren't that way with other royals. I have said before that it seems there are people, a group that is quite vocal in their discontent, that will never think, or admit, William and Catherine have done something right or wonderful.
I know I will get push back for this post and this next comment but I am genuinely curious as to the answer. Why do people who either are never happy with William and Catherine or just plain do not appear to like them come to a blog dedicated to them? There are a lot of things I do not like or really care about at all but I don't spend my time visiting blogs about those things. I understand people can go wherever they want on the internet but what provokes a person to do it?
Yes in a perfect world, the media could very well publish pictures of the Prince's Trust event instead of pictures of the Cambridges (or do both). But I think (or hope) the Cambridges know that we don't live in a perfect world, and that there is limited room in newspapers (and probably a certain amount potentially allocated to discussing the royals), and that their pictures could very well trade-off with the chances of the Prince's Trust making it into some papers. It's not about what would happen in an ideal world (and why are we so vitriolic anyways about papers doing what is necessary to make money? That's what everyone does. It's called capitalism). It's about how the world DOES work, and unless the Cambridges and their PR people have learned nothing from all their experience, they should be aware that the pictures would hurt attention paid to the Prince's Trust on a big night for it. I don't think it's "assigning ulterior motives to William and Catherine's actions as a sport" to say that all people should expect and know that they live in an imperfect world, and thus should make choices and decisions based on how the world is, not how they wish it should be. I.e. for the Cambridges, even if it's the media's fault, they should be aware that ultimately they would be hurting Prince Charles, not the media, by posting the pictures on this day, and should thus just wait.
DeleteAs for why people who are never happy with William and Catherine - here's a thought - maybe I want to be happy for them, but genuinely have not found much to be happy about. Isn't it possible that I'm not looking to criticize, but still can't help but end up doing that because they just haven't met my expectations? Why is the assumption that I'm seeking ways to assign ulterior motives? I understand that for some people, they have done more than enough, but I'm allowed to have my own opinion.
Additionally, I never understood this question. It seems fairly simple and obvious to me why someone might follow another person who they are not impressed with. William and Kate are public figures who are the future of a historically important and now still relevant institution - the British Monarchy. I think Donald Trump is a horrible human being, but I follow news about him too because I think it's important for me to know about important people in the world and how they affect it, and my own life. And I guess I personally have always loved reading about European royalty, from a very young age, and have great interest in seeing how it changes to adapt to changing times.
Also I like how people are laughing at the idea of sabotage now, but some of the same people don't say a word when royalfan constantly accuses Charles of sabotaging the Cambridges. Yes, Charles has a history of doing that with Diana, but some would say that that is different than doing it to his own son. Anyways, the point is, many parts of the royal family have a history of "sabotage", and so it's not as outlandish as some of you all are making it out to be. And it doesn't have to be sabotage, so much as a lack of respect or caring for whether or not a certain decision hurts Charles or not. And perhaps Charles deserves it, but that is a separate question from whether or not the Cambridges did intentionally ignore that this is a big day for Charles (or would have been if they didn't release their pictures).
DeleteI don't think that's true - there is certainly skepticism about other royals if one looks - and some of us do look.
DeleteMany of us are here to see the development of a prince and princess who will one day hopefully be king and queen - a thoughtful review of their actions seems perfectly appropriate to me. Many of us started reading when it was thought they would persue a fairly conventional royal path. They haven't - very far from it - and people see this in different ways.
Again, I offer praise for our posting before last where we were able to have a very rational discussion on a very difficult subject with a wide range of differing opinions without questioning motives. I'm sorry to see a slipping back to questioning why people are here. I'm here to see what sort of queen Kate will make - that's what "provokes" me. (I would say interests me.) I don't read blogs about helicopter pilots or young mothers but I do follow blogs about royalty.
I do realise as Valerie suggested above - many people just let the royals run in the background - but there are some of us who follow more closely and have for many years - I've been following since I was a little girl - I've seen royals who looked wonderful turn out to have feet of clay, while others who got off to a rocky start have done very well. I've seen royals trashed by the press - and seen others use it with amazing effectiveness. I wouldn't actively follow a royal who I actively dislike (we all know who that is) but I don't feel that way about William and Kate - I see them as people with great promise who haven't as yet lived up to that promise - hopefully, they will soon and I'm cherishing hopes this three-prong effort on mental health will do that - it is a most worthy area to become involved with.
Thank you Charlotte, for all your continued hard work for this blog. It is really an outstanding production, always showing a very high standard. These pictures are darling. The family and the photographer did a great job here and the family's closeness and happiness shines throughout. Love the snowball fight. I agree it shows the ease and playfulness that characterizes Wills and Kate's relationship. Little Charlotte's two teeth--cuteness plus!!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love these pictures!!! How happy and wonderful 😊
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are gorgeous I love seeing this beautiful family so happy and I love Kate's whole look here thank you Charlotte!
ReplyDeleteA few comments
ReplyDeleteI love these pictures. They all look great and like others said.. A really happy family.
I've read the last few posts and all the comments about William are really annoying me. Reporters want scandal because scandal sells with much less work or effort than actually having to research and write articles about the engagements and charities the royals work with.
Main Street reporters are now even taking to reporting on social media. I've read articles where reports are referencing blogs such as this although not by name. Therefore everyone on here that complains about w&k needing to do more is potentially giving the press the 'source' they need for their negative yet often not substantial reports that are then dissected upon by the blogs and then again the story becomes bigger and bigger.
William and his flying:
Everyone is focusing on the number of hours that's being quoted i.e. 20 hours a week. 20 is FLYING hours. To get to 20 flying hours that means he is on shift 4 days in a row each week for 9.5 hours a go. Doing some basic math that means he is on shift 38 hours per week. He is not sitting at home on the couch watching TV. He is in full uniform on site ready to be in the air within 90 seconds of a call coming in.
There are requirement for all pilots to show up for duty rested so assuming a person is on shift Monday/Tuesday/wed/Thursday 7am- 4.30 pm. They then go home each evening have dinner, put kids to bed, then go to bed themselves by 10 pm to ensure an 8 hour rest before getting up at 6am to report for the next days shift.
Thursday evening they stay up a bit later . Friday is their own as is Saturday. Sunday then is a normal enough day , but not doing anything majorly strenuous as you have the goal of being in bed by 10 pm again to ensure you are fully rested for the next days shift.
Pilots cannot be bleary eyed , hungover or sick in any way when at the controls. So yes everyone is correct but the details are missing. Williams flies approx 20 hours per week, but he is on duty 38 hours.
Wills time off is his own to do as he pleases as long as it doesn't result in him being overtired or unable to function at the high level required of a pilot.
I find it interesting that the press is using the numbers to make it sound scandalously bad while not actually explaining it fully. The only scandal in this that I see is the poor quality of journalism and selective use of the numbers.
And one last comment. This is a family with a 9 month old and 2 year old who face threats of being kidnapped or assinated EVERY time they step outside. Damn right the parents want to protect their children. And anyone who doesn't understand or appreciate that is nuts! The media focus of the request last summer for the press to back off the kids was, from what I could see, was totally and intentionally misinterpreted. I read it as a warning to the press that if they are going to such covert lengths to breach security to get that picture they should expect to be treated as active threats by the security teams and that they may end up injured or worse.
Security have a split second to react to threats and it sounded like they were finding photographers in situations that shooters would often be found in and therefore the palace were warning the paps that the security teams will act first and ask questions later if an active threat on the children's lives is suspected.
I love the private holiday, select photographer and releasing after they are safely home.
My 2 cents.
Erininnyc
Love your reply. I honestly do believe that some of the media have been acting like "a woman scorned" because William and Catherine don't make their jobs easier or create huge scandals. I also believe they do willfully misinterpret certain things, such as the hours, and that many of them know exactly what they are doing when they print their "stories".
DeleteThe daily fail is reporting where they were for their little getaway. Talking about how it has a private airstrip and Russian oligarchs often vacation there. The protection officers jobs were made much easier if they did utilize the private air strip instead of an airport and convoy of vehicles from there to the resort. If they did stay in the same area where the oligarchs, Beckhams, etc. I would venture a guess a lot of them have their own security. Even if the other security isn't there for the BRF they serve as more eyes scanning for threats. They are in a special situation. Loading up the family car and driving isn't as easy for them as it is for my family. They have so many things to take into consideration, contingency plans to cover, etc. I am sure that the PO's have no problems when the Cambridges make plans and their jobs are easier because of it. No matter how normal they try and act their lives will never be like ours. That isn't a bad thing. Their situation definitely has its perks but it also has many things that make it more difficult.
A very WORTHY two cents. Amen, Erin.
DeleteThank you Erininnyc, thank you.
DeleteErinnyc thats a very articulate and well thought out comment. I couldn't agree more
DeleteLoved everything you just said!!
DeleteThank you Erynnic, your post was very much needed. Charlotte please, could you check and give this correct information about the real working time of PW in one of your posts? It would be a great act of justice. I'm so tired about all this fuss, it reminds me the same uninformed fuss about the teacher's job: our work is much more than the ours we spend in the classrooms, but we are always accused of having very short working time. People are blind and deaf, sometime, because they want and they like to be so.
DeleteThank you for clearly explaining about William's schedule. And, for your other comments.
DeleteInteresting. I really like your informative comment; I take it you are, or know someone, who serves in a similar situation? May I ask how you know it to be 20 _flying_ hours? I think that, if true, this is a significant defense for William.
DeleteThank you! Very well put!
DeleteThank you for your research. I have been trying to say the exact same thing, but those who want to bring in the negativity do not want to see it. I am at a loss as to why some people take what the DM and Express write as being true.
DeleteThank you, Erin. I think what you say about William is really valuable. I only wish more people knew it. I also agree about the security measures for the children's sake having been misinterpreted. Zora
DeleteThere is an interview with William's boss where he explains just exactly what Erin said. I am out and about now so will search for that Interview when I get home. I thought you all knew all what Erin was saying and I couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about. Now I know. The media didn't tell the full story. Surprise. Surprise. NOT
DeleteWhat a surprise to see these gorgeous pictures! George and Charlotte are just adorable and love the playfulness between W & K. Such a beautiful family. They have to capture these family moments as the little ones grow as so fast. My youngest son turned 25 today and it seems like yesterday he was George's age. So dang fast. Thank you Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteSo totally random but I watch the bachelor and this girl in the show caila has offically passed Kate Middleton and now has the best hair...her hair reminds me of Kate's circa 2011 and 2012
ReplyDeleteThese pictures truly made my day. They look like such a happy family and it was such a treat to especially see Charlotte. The kids are lucky to have such dedicated parents. I think it was a smart move on their part to use a press photographer for the pics. The press can spin them however they want but I don't think that should stop them enjoying family life. Besides we have seen and will see William and Kate doing royal engagements. That's much more than what Harry has been doing honestly. So I say thanks Will and Kate for responding to our request to see a bit more!
ReplyDeleteOkay. George and Charlotte are just uber cute. Now I am going to have to find a baby somewhere to hug. :)
ReplyDeletelovely photos prince George looks just like the duchess and princess charlotte looks like her dad of course those family pictures looks great and to capture these little things like normal happy family do these are the moments that they will treasure
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely surprise! The photos are gorgeous and made my day! What a wonderful time together as a family. Prince George and Princess Charlotte are absolutely adorable and it's fun to see how much they have grown. Charlotte's little teeth are too cute! I hope they enjoyed their time away. Making memories as a family is so important and it looks like they had a great time. The pictures are bursting with joy and happiness! Thank you so much to William and Kate for sharing the photos!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely adore the photos. Nothing puts things in perspective better as happy family photos to remind you of the most important thing in life. I think the kids are very sweet. Charlotte loves to smile and George looks so handsome. As for William and Kate, 5 years of married life and going strong. Puts a smile on my face! It is a shame that some will do anything to put a negative spin on William right now. This was a considerate and giving gesture on their part, especially as they are uber private. Credit when credit is due. Let us enjoy the photos!
ReplyDeleteP.S. What eye colour does Charlotte have?
Very beautiful and cute children !And A happy family of four !
ReplyDeleteGeorge looks like his father a lot , but with mummy's eyes .
Does anyone know if John Stillwell has an online presence - web page flicker instagram etc. I would quite like to see some of his other work
ReplyDeleteLove these photos! I see a blend of Pippa and Carole Middleton in Charlotte's face.
ReplyDeleteBaby Charlotte looks like her grandma- sooo adorable! Beautiful family!!
ReplyDeleteThese are the best days of their lives and from the expressions of Will and Catherine's faces, I think they realize that. They go by so quickly.
ReplyDeleteWell, Rebecca English is certainly upset that she didn't get a free trip to the French Alps. I think her reporting of this family holiday is beyond petty and childish. Get over yourself Rebecca. I thought you were better than that. Even the commenters on the DM are calling out their petty "reporting".
ReplyDeleteOh my. I could hardly believe Rebecca English's
Deletearticles recently. Petulant and pouty, very slanted.
There goes any good reputation she may have had.
Confirms my opinion that there is someone behind these media rants, across the board. The odds are not normal for the media fiascos to have happened just by chance. Someone had an agenda and it was a vindictive one. Rebecca English, was it worth it?
I love Kate's choice of clothing for herself and Charlotte!!
ReplyDeleteThe Telegraph seems to be fairly certain that they stayed in a $70million villa in Courchevel belonging to the owner of Royal Warrant holder Garrods and Royal Asprey.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/12185826/Prince-William-Kate-Middleton-family-skiing-holiday-French-Alps.html
IF they did, they stayed as a guest, free. If Garrods and Royal Asprey had offered us a free stay who of us would refuse? I am so happy if they got to be guests there.
ReplyDelete