More from the official press release:
'The 1851 Trust roadshows uses the inspiration of Sir Ben Ainslie’s British America’s Cup challenge to inspire both primary and secondary school pupils into STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths), with practical applications of the challenges the team has faced in their preparations to compete in the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda. The roadshows also offers pupils the chance to get on the water themselves.
The sessions have each been carefully designed to enrich the school curriculum, using real-life examples from within the Land Rover BAR team to engage and inspire young people. Students from four schools in East London will be joining the final roadshow at the Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre.'
The Duchess will join a small group of young people taking part in an educational treasure hunt. Kate will then take part in an ocean plastics sea-bird activity, which highlights the damage caused by single use plastics and promotes sustainability, something both the Trust and team have put at the heart of their operations since their inception. The Duchess and some of the school children attending the roadshow will speak to Sir Ben Ainslie - team principal and skipper of Land Rover BAR who are currently competing in Bermuda - about the team’s experiences so far in the America's Cup.
As to what Kate might wear on the day? Sir Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR Team and a favourite label of Kate, Me + Em, have collaborated and created a bespoke collection for their female support team, they will be donating a percentage of proceeds from sails to the 1851 Trust. The Iconic Breton Top stands out as a "very Kate" piece - retailing for £55 is described as a "classic Breton style with updated stripe detail" (with thanks to What Kate Wore for the tip!).
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| Me + Em |
Land Rover BAR supporters wearing their Me + Em tops.
The day after the engagement - Saturday, 17 June - is Trooping the Colour, the Queen's annual birthday parade. As previously reported, there will be reduced ceremonial elements due to the snap election in the UK. (Speaking of which, how many of you are monitoring election coverage into the early hours? :)) I think we can expect to see Prince George and Princess Charlotte join their parents on the Buckingham Palace balcony once again!
What other events might be on the agenda in June? 20-24 June sees a highlight on the royal summer calendar, Royal Ascot. William and Kate made their debut at the event last year in honour of the Queen's 90th birthday. Will we see them again this year? I think there's a 50/50 chance. It has been said the Ascot is not the Cambridges' cup of tea with its class divisions not representing the best image for a 21st century monarchy, however, aides insisted there absence was due to schedule conflicts. Last year Kate echoed Eliza Doolittle in a white lace Dolce & Gabbana dress and a Jane Taylor hat.
It would be a great time for Princess Charlotte to make her debut on the polo scene too. :) You may recall Prince George made his (adorable) debut over the Father's Day weekend in 2014.
July promises to be an eventful month with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge set to continue their Brexit soft diplomacy tour with visits to Germany and Poland. With the trip less than a month away, all has been remarkably quiet in terms of details on the duration of the visit and the itinerary. We can expect to see the Palace release a detailed schedule over the next couple of weeks. There's been no word of a possible Commonwealth tour for the Cambridges this year; it's likely more European trips are in the planning with Prince William hinting a visit to Scandinavia is on the cards at a garden party last month.
Another casualty of the election has been the Spanish state visit which was due to take place 6-8 June and has been postponed until the 12-14 July. It was intended William and Kate would be involved in the visit by King Felipe and Queen Letizia and I imagine that is still very much the case. The Duchess attended her first state banquet in 2015, wearing a red Jenny Packham gown and the Papyrus tiara, I don't know about you, but I think it's high time for another tiara outing. :)
With gowns and tiaras in mind, I couldn't help but glance over recent collections by Kate's favoured designers. We recently saw Kate in a gorgeous red dress by Marchesa; the brand's storm blue Embellished Tulle Trimmed Silk Satin Gown would offer a showstopping look for a state banquet. The gown is from Marchesa's ornate Pre Fall 2017 Collection inspired by Fabergé eggs. The gown is intricately embellished with scores of tonal-pink crystals and beads.
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| Net-A-Porter |
We know the Duchess is a huge tennis fan. As Wimbledon's new patron, we will almost certainly see Kate in the Royal Box at least once during the championships. The tournament takes place 3-16 July.
Keep an eye on 'Kate's Calendar' for any updates :)
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With the summer season underway many of us will be sporting our favourite wedges and given Kate's love of the relaxed style, she will be too. Kate's much-loved Dune London Wedges have been updated for the season and renamed the 'Kanvas'.
The $90 slingback wedge shoes are available in black and grey. They are described: "Step out in style this summer with Dune London's Kanvas espadrille wedge. Featuring a high wedge sole and a slingback buckle fastening. The round toe completes this timeless feminine staple style." (With thanks to Kate Middleton Style.)
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| Dune London |
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For the second portion of the post, we're switching gears to take a look at Prince William's recent work. There was some discussion and interest expressed in seeing William's solo engagements. I thought a 'wrap up' of sorts, once a month or so, might be a good idea, especially with a full-time schedule in the offing for the autumn. In what was a very emotive visit, William paid a visit to Manchester, visiting those affected in the horrific terrorist attack. The Palace said the Prince "wanted to acknowledge and thank the people of Manchester for their strength, decency and kindness".
William spoke to some of the GMP first responders, including the officers who were first on the scene at Manchester Arena.
The Manchester Evening News reports:
He spoke to British Transport Police officer Phil Healy, who, with the help of sniffer dog Mojo, scoured the scene minutes after the explosion searching for a possible second bomb. Phil, 46, from Atherton, Wigan, said: “He was understanding and asked us how we were and about everything we did. “I explained what Mojo and I did, and he asked if the dog was okay, which was very nice. “It shows that people do care. We have had members of the public showing us that, but for it to go all the way to royalty is appreciated.”
Prince William also met M.E.N. editor-in-chief Rob Irvine, who spoke of the generosity of those who have donated to the We Love Manchester Fund, which now stands at almost £7m.
He said: “We were delighted Prince William found the time to visit Manchester and to find out about all the amazing things that have happened since the tragedy. I talked with him about the work the M.E.N. has been doing with the fundraising, and our support for emergency funding. “As a member of the board of trustees of the fund, it’s great news that we have already been able to hand out £1m to the families of those affected. He was really pleased to hear about that. He’s a busy man, but recognised the importance of this event, not just to Manchester, but to the nation. It means a lot to people. I was in a room full of people who did so much in the hours after the tragedy and in the days since. I think everyone in the room felt touched he made the effort to come and see us."
At Manchester Cathedral, William met members of the community who showed extraordinary acts of kindness following the attack. he met tattoo shop manager Ventnor Brewer, from Sacred Art in Chorlton, who has given more than 300 people bee tattoos to honour those killed in the attack. He said: "He thought it was fantastic. He seemed really impressed with the support everybody has for one another and for the city. He didn’t ask for a bee tattoo, although we would have given him one for free had he asked."
The Prince met local taxi drivers and restaurateurs, as well as representatives from Northern Rail and British Red Cross.
William signed the book of condolences writing: "Manchester's strength and togetherness is an example to the world. My thoughts are with all those affected."
William also visited Royal Manchester Children's Hospital to privately meet with families who have been supported following the attack.
I thought it very important to see members of the Royal family showing their support and solidarity during what has been an incredibly painful and frightening time for England. Seeing the quotes from first responders it's evident how much the visit meant to them and how uplifting the visible support of the Royal family has been. Of course, Her Majesty also visited the hospital. I must say I thought it would have been most appropriate for Kate to join William for the visit. You may remember William and Kate enjoyed an 'away day' in Manchester last October. As William wrote, the strength and togetherness of Manchester is quite simply a credit to the Mancunians who have displayed inspiring courage. London has also shown enormous resolve, unity and bravery in the face of yet another horrendous attack. We can only hope and pray these savage acts of violence cease and no more lives are lost. Our thoughts and prayers remain with all those affected.
On Wednesday, Prince William visited Belgium to attend commemorations marking the centenary of the Battle of Messines Ridge. The Battle of Messines was the first time that the 16th (Irish) and 36th (Ulster) Divisions fought together during the First World War.
William joined Ireland's outgoing head of state, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, and Princess Astrid of Belgium at the centenary commemoration of the Battle of Messines in Flanders.
The Express reports:
'The successful Allied offensive on June 7, 1917 was the first occasion the 36th Ulster and 16th Irish divisions fought together on the front line. The two divisions predominantly comprised men who were on opposing sides of the great political upheaval back in Ireland around whether the country should be granted self-governance from Westminster.
The commemoration focuses on the Island of Ireland Peace Park at Messines. The park was built in 1998 - the year of the historic Good Friday peace agreement - to mark the sacrifice of all those Irishmen who fought and died in the war.'
William laid a wreath with the message: "To all those who gave their lives in the Great War. We remember them."
Do let me know in the comments if you would like to see coverage of William's solo work. Hope you all have a lovely weekend! :)
Nice to see another engagement popping up, as I expected right on time when the election prep was over. The gap from the Spanish state visit + the election made this time a bit more empty than expected, I suppose :)
ReplyDeleteI am very happy to see a William recap :) Alot of his work goes.. not under reported per se because the royal reporters do report it on twitter. Maybe under-shared? :P So I am very happy to see William recaps in the future :)
Very nice to see William visit Manchester. He is a great choice to visit the responders since he has an unusual amount of knowledge of what they do for being a royal. And while pictures of him meeting the families is good PR for the royals I am impressed that they didn't bring the cameras in to the meetings. There is enough media intrusion for victims as it is! Of course there are still alot of social media pictures from the visit, which makes sense. But that is a totally different thing since it's the patients/families choice.
Looking forward to seeing what the summer, and especially the fall, will bring :)
Rebecca, I agree with you that it is quite probable the postponed Spanish state visit & the election have had an influence on the number (and type) of engagements carried out.
DeleteI also agree that William is a great choice to acknowledge the first responders (with him working in the same field). And leaving it to (the families of) the victims to choose whether to make photos from Royal visits public or not is very appropriate, I think.
Very much looking forward to seeing more posts on William's work & how things will unfold, too. :)
Have you had the opportunity to read his fantastic interview, yet?
Yes, I would like to see posts about Prince William's work. You do such a good job of accurate information, not gossip or fake headlines. And, you provide info that we in the US aren't familiar with. Thank you!! Keep up the good work!! You are my #1 source for this news.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see a recap of William's solo work. But I would hope there are more joint engagements in the cards for W&K. I do have to say I am very disappointed Kate did not join William in Manchester. And she was missing in action
ReplyDeletewhen William went to Belgium. Again I see no reason why she was not with him.
Hope we see her and the kids at some of the polo matches this summer.
Charlotte, you do such a fantastic job with your blog - I'd be happy
ReplyDeleteto see a brief summary of William's solo work if that didn't become a burden for you.
William's work in air rescue probably gave him extra empathy for the first responders
he met in Manchester. I hope Kate will do something
for grieving families later or in private, if she hasn't already.
I'd love to see more about William's engagements! I personally have Kate fatigue (same everything, different day), and think it would be lovely to have a glimpse into more of William's work as the future monarch.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the summary of William. My preference would be to see it reported on in a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly format, versus seeing a post every time he steps out in public - the way you report on Kate. I think it will go a long way in helping to establish William in a more serious/leadership light. With Kate's schedule so light - it would kinda be interesting to see what William, Charles and the Queen are getting up to. (I use From Her Majesty's Jewel Vault to keep up on the Queen - never really found a summary blog on Charles' work for the UK. Pity really. He's not a slacker.)
ReplyDeleteMonthly, please!
DeleteAnd I agree, what a pity there is not a blog on Q&PC. They are not slackers indeed.
The Jewel vault is excellent for the queen - because it covers even the audiences. The royal hat blog is also a good source for the queen - because she almost always wears a hat and the moderator has a broad interpretation of hats as well.
DeleteAgain, I mourn the loss of the Royal Digest and wonder whether this present group of readers here wouldn't be keener followers - there seems to be more interest in monarchy in general. I personally believe the best way to define what a modern monarchy should be is to look at the activities of all of them. The blog was so brilliant but I know it took masses of time. Still, I can hope its time will come again. There is nothing else comparable out there really for all royals - the others are focused on fashion.
I agree that I enjoyed the summary of William's activities Charlotte :) From a very selfish standpoint I would love one blog about the next incarnation of the monarchy. Instead of separate Kate and Meghan sites, one combined site (that may focus heavily on their fashion) but include recaps of appearances and engagements by William, Harry, and C&C I know most people want to talk about fashion perhaps, but I enjoy the bigger picture issues that are reported and discussed here. And times they are a changing, no doubt about it anymore.
Delete(One of first sites I found was your Royal Digest and I keep thinking how perfect that would be focused on the "new" royal family)
Monthly updates on William is fine by me.
DeleteClaudia, I would also love a blog covering the younger generation of British royals! I like fashion, of course, but also learning about politics and public opinion/perception.
DeleteA few minutes ago my husband, who would be a republican if we were UK citizens, asked me what I was reading. I said, "My Princess Blog." He asked if I'd heard about the election, and so we looked it up online together and learned more about it.
Then, I said, "This blog has an interesting comments section that goes far beyond the fashion side of things." And I read a couple of comments to him. I think one of them was by Julia of Leomeister (sp?).
Anyways, we got to talking about Kate's conspicuous and debated absence, and he said, "Well, you never know what's going on behind the scenes." He is in a position where he works closely with law enforcement. So, who knows... But if there were a security threat specific to her, then why would she announce her appearance on the 16th?
Hello Victoria :) You're absolutely right, or your husband is! We don't know what goes on behind the scenes. However, I think we can make educated guesses based on past performance. Kate is known for lengthy absences between royal engagements. The excuse given by KP for St. Patrick's Day was basically "she doesn't feel like going this year."
DeleteAgain, I know some people may think my reaction and judgement far too harsh, but this is not a normal situation. It's a very unique and troubling time, and for William's wife not to put in *one* appearance somewhere as a show of support and solidarity with the nation, there better be an excellent reason. She would have to have one foot in the ground as far as I'm concerned. As I say repeatedly, being the public face of the nation is one of their chief jobs!
Victoria love your remarks! Our good friend from Luxembourg Juncker might like to see it become Leomeister but at this hour it's still Leominster, thank goodness - you gave me and Leo a very good laugh. I completely agree - I too like that this blog goes beyond fashion.
DeleteAs for security other royals were out and about - the British royals have been known for not having the exceptional security of American presidents and think it should stay that way. It could be the election was holding Kate back but a holiday does seem more realistic.
It is so hard to know how to respond to the terrorist attacks - I suppose the royals thought issuing statements each time might become too much - but the poor young people are just as dead an injured this time as in the past - it seemed like a muted response to me. Don't know what the best answer is. Personally I would say having William and Kate visiting the site and laying flowers would be best. Let us hope no need to discuss this in the future but fear we will have to.
I'm trying to remember the various royal family member's responses to the London IRA bombings. I don't think there even was a wife of the heir to the heir at that time.
DeleteRegardless, this must seem a little "same song, second verse" to the older royals. It must evoke terrible memories in some, as senseless as these current attacks are of themselves. The difference being, for one thing, that the IRA was a nationalist cause-the IS cause global. Abagail
Personally I don't care if William is reported on here. I think it's a nice idea, and perhaps something to do as long as Kate's schedule is so light. If she starts working more, then I'd say not to bother because Charlotte will already be working on Kate, plus she's got the Meghan blog too. And a life, which she should get to enjoy instead of working on the blog in all her free time.
DeleteJulia from Leominster, Claudia, and Abigail,
DeleteGreat to hear your replies! You, in turn, gave me a laugh, Julia. :)
I hadn't thought of Kate being on holiday. That could explain it, but like someone said, she could have at least put a statement out in support.
I think a roundup of William's work is a great idea! Thank you for including it.
ReplyDeleteNice to see that Kate's calendar is becoming more active as the summer progresses. I was thinking her "break" might be for the benefit of the kids, as there has been a small uptick in events for her and several to come during the summer. Maybe a desire to give the kids something more routine and a little more time with mum in between two busier periods of the year? Whatever the reason, I look forward to her next outing!
Thank you, Charlotte, for the description of William's work, especially his visit to Manchester. There have been a lot of inaccurate comments about his supposed absence, which are unfair to him. While he was there, he spent sympathetic time with first responders, volunteers, and patients and their families.
ReplyDeleteAs for Kate, I suspect she is kept out of very dangerous areas, and also that she may suffer emotionally after these terrorist events. I think of her putting her head down during the Westminster Abbey service, as though she needed to hide tears. In the past, I have always thought children's hospice visits are very difficult for her. Not everyone is able to cope with hospital encounters with the wounded, either. Kate will no doubt find an appropriate way to respond to the horror.
In the meantime, I am glad for an account of William's visit to Manchester.
Poor Kate, they should not let her suffer in public. Think about Diana or ordinary people with real problems, according to you, all of them should have stayed at home and licked their wounds and recuperated.
DeleteHow lucky we are that Diana and rest of the world met/meet the difficulties head on!!
Then maybe Patricia she should not have married into the royal family where comforting the wounded and visiting victims is supposed to be part of their job
DeleteKate put her head down during a service. The rest of it (and any resulting censure concerning her job) is pure speculation. Perhaps she was briefly stretching a muscle in her neck after a strenuous workout. True fact (as opposed to false fact/news) is: We don't know.
DeleteNone of us know why she did not go and I expect it was for a good reason.
DeleteRachel what in Kate's past actions proves that she missed an event for a good reason
DeleteShe claimed to miss the Saint Patrick's event last year because she wanted to spend time with her children before they went in for which was an absolute joke because there were still weeks before she had to go
To me she didn't feel like going so she didn't go
God the people they have working for them suck because to me it is a simple thing to have Kate go and visit victims
As a future Queen Consort, I'd think that the more these things affect her emotionally, the more she'd want to do her part for her country by getting out in response to attacks and showing support for the victims and such. My bigger concern is that while she may be just as saddened by these attacks as any of us are, that's about it, with no extra sense of duty and caring that a BRF member and future Queen Consort should be feeling for her country .
DeleteMaybe we have not seen Kate because they have sent nanny Maria on an early holiday? What do we really know. I think it was appropriate that she had her head down and shed a tear. Kate did shed a tear during the War Horse viewing also. I on the other hand used up a whole tissue box on each sad occasion and would have had my make up smeared all over my face, had a worn any. Luckily for me I was not in public :-) It was however VERY disappointing not to see Kate.
DeleteRoyal Watcher
Kate's job is to represent the royal family and the royal family's job is to be an apolitical rally-round if you will. They are there no matter what politics are in vogue, and therefore, should be a support to people no matter what. They don't govern any more. They have no real power. Therefore the only power they do have is rooted in public goodwill, and if they don't do anything to engender that goodwill, they have an excellent chance of being bumped out on their royal arses. Kate, as future queen consort should be out there doing exactly that. She is second to Camilla and her responsibilities *should* be greater than the other royal women.
DeleteElection watcher here - I believe I will officially change my name to Cassandra as I predicted this when it was called - I'll say no more. Beginning to think Cassandra is a good name to use for my comments on the royal family too.
ReplyDeleteWith the somber mood of things, I would like to see Kate undertake a truly serious engagement but June isn't the best month for that -even with the reduced ceremonial occasions. There are times when I find we can drift along discussing fashion during these long gaps, and there are times when the news is so unrelentingly bad that one longs desperately for more active royals.
In theory, I would hope William will soon do so many engagements that it's impracticable to discuss them all here - but as it goes - perhaps that's best.
As the days went by, became aware of how much I truly disliked those photographs - I find them almost grotesque - they do not age well. My favourites of the children still are candid ones taken by the press - Charlotte with balloons in Canada - George looking out the window with his nanny - actually having fun - something we don't see often.
Shall now return to my gloomy perusal of The Telegraph site. Can hardly bear it.
I agree, Cassandra. The photos are strange at any time. And they certainly do not age well.
DeleteCharlotte, I like the recap of William's work. Maybe monthly would be good. We can understand Kate better as we come to understand William better.
And William would definitely have the very best coverage from you. He would be overjoyed by your coverage I am sure.
I am too am surprised that there isn't better coverage of the Queen and Prince Charles. Charlotte. Feel like doing a full package deal? lol
Are we talking about the GQ photographs? There's no reference to which photos in Cassandra or surfer girl's comments.
DeleteAs for a lack of Q and PC blogs, that's likely a demographic issue, little more.
Cassandra, I thought the very same thing when Ms. May called the election--having seen a government in Canada thoroughly trounced after doing the same thing I thought "hmmm..." And of course there was last year's election in the U.S. which we are forbidden to discuss. Ructions in the Ireland household these past few days over events on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr. Jo is completely opposite to Mrs. Jo in political leanings.
DeleteHow I was hoping that I would see a small piece where K had quietly visited a hospital in London, written a note, anything, anything. Yes, I know there was an election going on. And yes I know I said in my last post that I wouldn't comment on her absence. But to see that her next outing is a sailing thing with the gorgeous Mr. Ainslie. I couldn't help remembering what Mr. Knightley said to Emma per Jane Austen: "Badly done, Emma, badly done."
It just doesn't sit right with me, a complete Kate aficionada. I was even sulking that I just don't care about her right now. Too many other things to care about, more worthwhile things to care about. But I will return once I get over my disappointment or I hear of something that gets my attention :)
Everyone knows this is Julia, right? She's referencing Cassandra in mythology. For the record Julia, I always listen to what you have to say :)
DeleteJo in Ireland, I couldn't agree more. I cringed when this election was called - and I would have given much not to be proved right. That's why I always speak honestly here even though many don't like what I say. Change happens very quickly these days, nothing can be relied on - and William and Kate are doing a lot of relying.
DeleteI think a lot of people out there are with you - and me - in not caring about Kate now. She simply has no relevance - terrible things happen and not a sign of her. I linger on here as always in the never-ending-always-futile hope there will be a real change - take every appearance as a hope of that - but increasingly am thinking we are seeing the character of the woman coming out. One could think she does represent the 'bread and circuses' attitude of the young who think things just magically appear without being paid for - but I'll go no further.
Leo and I are fortunately in agreement on politics - royal family not so much. He's content to let them carry on but would never miss them.
The photos I was referring to are the ones in GQ. I appreciate a fashion magazine will have more stylised photos but the more I looked at those they seemed so stiff to me - the setting almost intimidating with that wall - and everyone except William in the second one disconnected from each other - even Lupo seems to be being called by someone outside the picture (unless he is chasing something, and if so, his people are ignoring him) and Charlotte is also looking at someone outside the picture.
DeleteI suspect had they been in colour or black and white with less contrast, I might not have felt the same - that high contrast is what gives much of the odd effect of frozen figures - even Leo said Addams Family!
And yes I am as always Julia - Cassandra is from mythology as stated - the doomed prophetess who predicted the truth of the Trojan War - and was cursed never to be believed.
I wouldn't consign Theresa May and the Conservatives to the dust bin just yet. She already has an agreement with another party and is vowing to carry on. abagail
DeleteI was referring to the outdoor ones on the previous page. I assumed those were the photos Cassandra was referring to.
DeleteIf I may offer an outside view of the British election (and this is no partisan opinion, as it makes no difference to me which party is in power), I think TM (who I'm sure is competent in other ways) has shown herself to be out of touch with young people. And that's precisely what the royals are as well, as Julia has often warned.
DeleteA friend of mine is British and when I got to know her, I was surprised to find that I knew more about the British royal family than she did and that she didn't really care about them one way or the other. Of course, she is only one person but from what Julia has been saying, I gather she's not the only one. What must be done is obvious but sadly, W&K don't seem to be the right people for the job, despite their age. If he wasn't otherwise so out of touch, Charles might be able to forge a connection through his interest in the environment, which is something that many young people are also interested in.
Charlotte I admire your upbeat writing, but I find it impossible to discuss striped tops, dresses or wedges. I personally feel Kate's vanishing act at this time, of all times, absolutely appalling.
ReplyDeleteI'm blue in the face saying this, but at these times it's critical for the family to be out front leading the way for the nation. As you said, it is a frightening, confusing, chaotic time, and that was before the election returns came in. For every senior royal BUT Kate to be out in support was a positive disgrace.
Julia Leo says this beautifully and frequently so I won't bother, but now is not the time for any senior royal to be resting on their laurels. Jeremy Corbyn, who saw quite a turnaround in recent weeks, has said for years he wants to abolish the monarchy. Even though he claims it's not on his agenda now, believe me he'll charge through a door if it opens.
I increasingly believe W&K are happy to do royal work IF it suits their schedule and is convenient. But they won't change or sacrifice much to accommodate it. Family first is an admirable motto, but what of the greater British family?
I believe the royals need to be comforters in national grief, cheerleaders in celebratory times. And I can't help but wonder, if the Olympics or the like had been on these last few weeks, would Kate have managed to attend one or two of those events?
MIght it be that security concerns are circumscribing appearances during this high alert time. I may have missed it from across the Atlantic and the other side of the NA continent, but I haven't seen anything on the Queen going out after the London horror. Can anyone update that from your side?
DeletePhilly I'm looking at the past fortnight or so as a whole, first Manchester then London.
DeleteBP, CH and KP all released statements after Manchester. There was a moment of silence at the BP garden party. The Queen was at an OBE service at St. Paul's within days when prayers were said for the victims. She then of course visited the children's hospital herself. Prince William had the FA Cup Final where he laid a wreath for the victims and he then went to visit and thank the Manchester police. (W also had his scheduled engagements) Even Camilla had an RAF engagement with children where she gave brief remarks about the Manchester attack first.
After London, HM went to church (nothing new there) but a statement was released that prayers were said for the victims. Charles and Camilla went to meet with police and went to hospital to meet victims and staff - Camilla gave her much reported "we're seeing the best of Britain" line.
Harry has been overseas but visited a Muslim community in Singapore where prayers were said for London victims, had a moment of silence at polo, and gave a subsequent speech that his heart goes out to the victims and their families.
They've all also had regularly scheduled royal engagements that they've been attending. I'm going from memory, surfer girl is very good lately with the news blurbs so maybe she'll jump in if I'm missing or misreported something!
I do think the royals missed an opportunity to release an actual statement after London, there was talk it could become too repetitive, but that's what you have excellent speech writers for - or should have. "We are suffering as a country now but we will get through this, we are seeing the worst and the best..." something to that effect.
So the Queen and DoE, Charles and Camilla, William and Harry have all been working their royal schedule, as well as doing their bit with Manchester and London. Isn't it fair to say, hold on, where's Kate? Things change in life that the royals have to respond to, that's just how it is. From a PR perspective if nothing else this is quite bad, critics will see this: she was last out at her sister's extravagant wedding, and her first engagement back will be a rather posh one. The nation has been hurting and she hasn't been out to do her bit.
I have no problem with security issues prohibiting things from being announced in advance by the way, and if she didn't feel comfortable doing something on her own, she could have tagged along with William, as Charlotte suggested. I'm not asking her to be out every day, one visit would have gone a long way.
Philly - for at least a year now, almost all of the Queen's engagements are done at a palace and she very rarely ventures out for engagements, so it's hard to gauge security concerns based on her not leaving the royal homes. But she was able to visit victims after Manchester despite any security risks (and Manchester was really a much more threatening attack than London Bridge because of actual ISIS involvement and planning), and Charles, Camilla, William, and Harry have all been out since the London attacks, so it doesn't seem like it's a security thing.
DeleteTalking about a political goal while a minority attempting to build a political base is one thing; actually following through, once the base is established, another thing entirely. As was recently demonstrated graphically in the US. Threatening to do away with the monarchy in the UK is just talk. It attracts a certain element, useful for a time, then discarded with the realities facing an insider.
DeleteCorbyn is not delaying a more than name only attack on the monarchy by choice; he knows he has no ability to accomplish it-despite recent media jabs at William either directly or indirectly through his wife and in-laws as well as ploys to pit the RF against each other and thus weaken them from the inside. (the recent staff meeting stories, for example) If the attempt were serious, Charles, the actual heir, would be the target-except, it is fairly obvious that Charles is not the one seen as the future of the monarchy. William is and that is why we have seen the increasing focus on William. Abagail
It is all just rhetoric.
Abagail, the younger generation in the UK, those less than 50 years old - they have literally zero interest in the monarchy. Poll after poll shows that it is the older generation that has a sustained interest in the monarchy and primarily the Queen. Abolishing it is a matter of time and will. I am sure you are old enough to realize that the world today is vastly different from the world twenty years ago. The world will be a very different place twenty years hence.
DeleteAnd I don't see how it is "fairly obvious" that Charles is not seen as the future - to whom ? And how is it fairly obvious?
I am by no means an expert and this may be picky, but there is a difference between ISIS-Islamic State In Syria and IS- Islamic State. It is IS that has claimed responsibility for the attacks-both Manchester and London--as well as for just about any other mass attack on the planet. We may not want to admit that there is significant work behind the scenes with the royals, but I doubt anyone thinks the whole truth of the terror attacks is known.
DeleteI would hesitate to evaluate the comparative threat potential of the attacks based on what we can read in the media. Abagail
If you're talking about the staff meeting articles that came out after Prince Phillip's retirement announcement, then I honestly think Prince William was the focus of those over Prince Charles bc not only has Prince Charles already been taking over a huge number of the Queen's duties for at least a few years now, with many saying he's basically a shadow king at this point thus leaving him already incredibly busy and not the BRF member to look to for taking on some of his father's load, but Prince William on the other hand is a future King w/ one of the lightest workloads in the BRF and thus is the obvious BRF member to be shining the spotlight on during this transition to make sure that the person most able (and maybe only one in the BRF) time-wise to take on a big chunk of Phillip's load is the person who ends up doing so.
DeleteNot quite Abagail. Corbyn has been talking about this for decades, he still believes it, just says it's not currently "on his agenda" - you better believe if he had any opening he would charge through it. The system of monarchy is against everything Corbyn stands for and he has said so, he is completely against taxpayers funding one family. He has openly and publicly expressed admiration for tyrants like Hugo Chavez for "sharing the wealth."
DeleteAnd the attempt can be serious without Charles being the target, that can't happen because people would have to start talking about it *now*. It's been said repeatedly, publicly and privately, by officials on all sides, that there are certain things that absolutely will not be discussed "while the Queen's alive." (quick google search will provide plenty of articles) There is too much awe and respect for her, most Brits don't know life without her.
So there will absolutely be a King Charles, because there will simply be no time to do anything else. Charles himself is keen for a brief period of public grieving before his coronation, nothing like the almost 18 months that passed after the King died. BUT, when Charles is King, there will be no such reserve of respect that will prevent public discussion of the monarchy. I think some recent leaks we've seen are actually trial balloons being floated to gauge reaction. I expect it will be quite a turbulent time with many changes. What comes after King Charles, who knows. I'm personally less and less sure every day.
The biggest concern is what we can hear in remarks from fervent monarchists here and elsewhere. "I don't really care anymore" - an apathetic public is positive death for the royals, easy for a Corbyn or anyone else to take advantage of that.
I wouldn't get too caught up on Corbyn. If Charles becomes and remains King for as long as he lives his reign will most likely outlast Corbyn, May, Sturgeon, whoever as leaders of their parties. Political careers aren't as long as they used to be anymore. BUT if the public doesn't the monarchy anymore, there will always be a politician to take advantage of that and to push for abolishing it. It really depends on the royals. They must do a good enough job to keep/gain public favour. There is a reason why the Queen is so respected and admired. She has done an incredible job - the best one possible I would say.
DeleteI hope you are right about May, Abagail - it would be best if she did survive for now - we shall see - but the election should never have happened.
DeleteCorbyn's base is amongst the young - that will diminish as they grow older and they come to realise someone - them - will need to pay for all he promises - there is nothing free. I don't want to get caught up with politics but it was truly a bread and circuses election for the party who gained members - no, I'll stop there.
But the anti-monarchist feeling around Corbyn supporters is something more dangerous for the royals - that will not necessarily change in time. And there remains a chance (shudder) he could become P.M. in a minority government. I don't think at this time anything will happen for the royals although an unfriendly parliament could cause them difficulties - but there is so many more important things happening. But once the queen is gone, especially following a coronation (which I expect may give a popular surge depending on the Camilla issue) the mood could change quickly, especially if there has been a large fall off amongst the young.
I'm not a believer in waiting to fix things when the damage is already done. As noted in one of the comments, there already has been damage. The time for the young royals to build support is now - to show they are hard-working, relevant and completely involved with the entire nation - the time to redefine the monarchy comes after they have a reputation for hard traditional work. This is no time to worry about who is next in line - - when there is an approaching crisis, egos must be put aside.
That is the greatest possible gift William and Kate could give George - having working parents is vital to his future - because it's a family business. At the end, most of us are caught with the problems we face as adult - George may not even remember he had chickens as a child but he will be handed the legacy his parents leave him when he becomes an adult and his feelings for them will be based on the future they hand him.
Maggie, recent words of the Queen seem to discredit at least part of the staff-meeting stories. I think those accounts did serve to pit one part of the BRF against another, which was my point. The stories comparing engagement activities of one member against another can be seen as a divisive, weakening tool for the BRF and monarchy in general. If Charles or any other royal is behind this it is not a wise move. In trying to make William look bad it reflects on the whole family and feeds anti-monarchist rhetoric as well.
DeleteFor these reasons, I think there is a bit more of this being instigated by the press than by royal family members themselves. William has actually said in an interview that full time royal is not a term used amongst them. He has also said he awaits the queen's call as far as specific activity is concerned. I really don't know any other BRF member who has publically discussed this topic and this was a response to a direct question. Of course, the Queen doesn't give
interviews.
If the stories aren't credible in a point ascribed to the Queen, it is possible the story wasn't prompted by HM but another family member entirely--the "source" who relayed the meeting story, supposedly quoting the Queen's assistant. Abagail
Rosman, you've mentioned some good points.
DeleteBy "fairly obvious" I was partly referring to their comparative ages and generations. I am not sure what is your basis for saying the under fifty group "have 0 interest in the monarchy;" but I think that same source might have to admit that, if asked which royal they feel is most in touch with their generation, I think the answer would be William, not Charles.
I like to study the crowds that gather around royal events and I see a greater number of younger faces in events in which the Cambridges appear, compared to events involving only Charles. Abagail
Claudia-the idea of 'plenty of articles" discussing what will not be discussed amused me. It seemed to be a very British idea. :) Abagail
DeleteAbdication being, of course, the most undiscussed topic, but a constantly-looming presence, nonetheless.
lol, Claudia, Abigail. That reminds of the Palace's statement about "Heads Together". (with a very British accent, "Hip, Hip, Cheerio, no need to talk about it. Don't' dilly dally. Let's just get on with things. Stiff upper lip and all that, you know.") :)
Delete(no offense, :) )
Abagail I did chuckle at that :) You're quite right it made me smile as I typed it, thinking it was a bit contrary. They're the kind of long read, in depth background articles that don't quite make headline news but are very interesting - if you're into that kind of thing ;)
DeleteActually, I am in to that kind of thing, Claudia. :) Abagail
DeleteAlright, so I have many questions:
ReplyDeleteWAIT! FIRST: to all the U.K. friends here...I am so sorry for the horrific loss you have suffered at the hands of evil. Purely sickening...and CHILDREN of all people. My condolences and heart to you all.
Now to the questions:
1) What is the meaning/significance of the "bee" tattoos people are getting?
2) What is the "snap election" all about. I am sorry I haven't kept up with this bit of politics. It is hard enough to keep up with politics in the U.S....to say the least.
Charlotte, I love that dress you posted from Marchessa. Yep, that would absolutely be a show stopper.
Last: Ben Ainsley...well, Ben is pretty much an event all on his own. So as usual, I will VERY much look forward to this event... wink-wink ;
Happy summer all!
Tammy, the (worker) bee is a symbol of Manchester, a tribute to its industrial past after the Industrial Revolution.
DeleteI, too, always look forward to seeing Mr. Ainslie ;)
The election was a move in theory to gain power for negotiations for Brexit - obviously it didn't go as planned.
DeleteJulia-Ah! A bit of British understatement. She is not the first PM to lose a majority. The question is whether she will lose the support of her party. I can't imagine she would be forced out with Brexit waiting in the wings, though. Abagail
DeleteOne thing that puzzled me was the close association in time of the announcements of the pop election and the announcement of the postponement of the Spanish visit. I can't explain why that seemed so strange to me. I realise the cause-effect relationship, but still...Abagail
Thank you for your post Charlotte. I enjoy hearing about William's solo work as it indicates the direction the family are travelling in generally. I usually read about it on my twitter feed but it's nice to read your wrap up of events too.
ReplyDeleteOn a totally off topic and irrelevant note, the teacher in me cringes at the way William holds a pen!
PS: Have a great long weekend fellow Aussies.
Cara, Australia
Isn't William's way of writing one way for a left hander to keep his script visible to himself? Not the way my left handed relative writes, but a means of adapting to a right handed world.
DeleteI dont know Patricia. Prince William knows that it will be photographed and visible to the world within minutes.
DeleteI think adapting is the right word, Patricia. Imagine being a student in a classroom learning to write from watching the example of a right-handed teacher writing on the chalkboard. I believe President Obama also used that form- there are a number of photos of him signing documents. It looks uncomfortable and awkward but it must work for them. My husband was a lefty and also held his hand that way. Abagail
DeleteIt's a common way many left-handed people write if not trained otherwise. It tends to smear the paper. Habits like this are generally formed in childhood and are unlikely to have anything to do with privacy.
DeleteNote: My husband's mother was an English teacher. :) Abagail
DeleteI see no problem with a pampered woman having a time for further pampering but I find it very aweful that the Duchess of Cambridge visits a sail-fun-Ben Ainsley related charity earlier than a children's hospital- and she has 2, easy to relate or not. It is just wrong on so many levels. And it is not even late summer when all royals are on a holiday. Of course, we will see the kids, they are in need of better PR again.
ReplyDeleteFantastic initiative from William to make an unannounced trip to Manchester. I'm sure that it meant a great deal to the people of Manchester who are probably still shaken by that tragic event. Also, kudos to Ariana Grande and all of the other stars who turned up and showed their support at the One Love concert. Solidarity and unity is what the world needs at a time like this.
ReplyDeleteI am a little disappointed that we have not seen Kate recently. I'm sure many of us are suffering from withdrawal symptoms but watching the news and looking at the pressures that have been put on the police and army lately, I fully understand why a conscious effort was made not to announce any engagements for Kate at a time like this.
Such bravery and committment from all of the first responders, the doctors and nurses who sprung into action and to those who rendered help to others during the attacks, I salute all of you!!!
Sending my love and prayers to all those who were affected by the recent terrorist attacks across the world.
Love Avee in SA
Perhaps Kate's expecting again and is feeling poorly. And they're holding off an announcement until the end of her first trimester. It may explain her public absence. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteThat was my first thought, too. But there are always rumours about Kate being pregnant. Until they say something officially themselves...
DeleteMaybe it really was just a combination of the voting, the attacks and the missing Spanish state visit. But I'm looking forward to see her more often starting next week (hopefully).
Concerning William, it would be nice to see what he does every 2-4 weeks as a recap. To get a feeling for the work he does or doesn't do. From over here (Germany), I get barely a glimpse.
I was thinking the same thing, too. Maybe she is pregnant and wanting to keep a low profile in the beginning. Or I always wonder how much behind the scenes preparation is involved in their charity work...perhaps just because we don't see Kate publicly, it does not mean she isn't at work.
DeleteI had the same thought too. But I think she is just getting her Kensington palace house ready for them to move in this fall
DeletePregnancy seems a very unlikely reason for Kate's absence. I don't think she would have taken the chance of being too sick to attend Pippa's wedding. That was only 20 days ago. Seems unlikely that in a mere 20 days she's gotten pregnant AND gotten too sick to attend public events. But even if she had done that how can she be sure she'll be feeling just fine next week for Ben? Didn't KP just announce that event quite recently?
DeleteImo the day Kate and William justified spending 7 million taxpayer dollars for KP to themselves should have been the day they started preparing for eventually having to actually live in that home. Not to mention we were told around then to give Kate a break for not doing many engagements in part bc she had to prepare a whole KP home for them and then get the family moved into it. Fact is, it was their primary home before Anmer was ready, so what much is there to get ready, esp given that they said Anmer will continue being their home, and also given that they're rich, do we really think they are going to be moving all their belongings from Anmer to KP? I imagine they have two of everything and will just be moving some key personal things from Anmer to KP and even that packing will probably be done by one of their two housekeepers or other aides.
DeleteI hope you and your loved ones are ok Charlotte after the events in Britain over the last month. We in Australia join in GB's sorrow with two of our own dead and two wounded in the London senseless terrorist attack on the weekend. Lets pray that love and freedom of choice will prevail.
ReplyDeleteDear Charlotte and dear fellow readers/commenters!
ReplyDeleteI am GLUED to my laptop screen and I have been since last evening, first listening with my jaw somewhere down where my knees are to the Comey testimony over in the US, then this morning very early (with my jaws once again having to prove their "flexibility")reading the UK results. I can´t think of any fictional writer being able to write better stories than our politicans/their actions/the consequences... I don´t envy either the people in the US nor my dear friends over in the UK... What a "merry mess"...
My daughter and I had a VERY long conversation 3 years ago, when she was first able to vote, for regional councils. She thought the "usual" thoughts: my vote doesn´t count, I´m not interested in politics, etc, etc. I had VERY strong words with her, telling her plain and simple that our democracy (which she strongly supports!!) simply can not survive and will not survive if we don´t vote. Even if we sometimes are not 100% happy with what we CAN actually vote (or whom), it´s up to us to make our opinion known and to stay informed so that we can form an opinion. NOT voting should be the last resort, not the first.. Thankfully, she is a bright girl and understood what I meant, and, having to experience what happened in the US and UK, she is even more determined to vote in our general election in September. We see right now what difference especially young voters indeed DO make.....
It´s amazing that directly after Cameron, another Conservative PM thought pushing the British voters to the ballot box would strengthen his position. Well, maybe they should reconsider their thinking.... or maybe actually talking and listening to people?....
Oh I could go on and on, but I want to respect the fact that this is not a political forum, so back to "our" subject!
I would love this forum to be focused on the Duchess, not necessarily Prince William´s activities, unless it has something to do with their shared causes, e.g. mental health. I must admit, it´s rather a "gut feeling" at the moment as I´m still too tired and excited due to all that´s going on in politics for any "reasonable" arguments... My apologies... ;-))))
Eve, I have a little story to back that one up. I live in a very small town. We had the same mayor for 35 years and then a relative of his became mayor. They both have done a wonderful job with our little city, it is a wonderful place to live and people try very hard to buy in our city because of the schools, tight knit community, etc.
DeleteAbout 3 months ago, another person ran against our mayor. He had a lot of support from the community (although the only thing supporters could say about him was "He's just SUCH a GREAT guy"). The vote came down to 7 VOTES. 7. So, when I think my vote doesn't count, I think about 7.
If I could just add to one more thing for your daughter (and I will say this to my son someday as well): find out the FACTS. Not what the media says, not that the person is or isn't "a great guy", just the facts. I am continually shocked by people who vote and have absolutely zero idea what they are voting for, and what the consequences of their vote means. It's not enough to say "I want peace, love and harmony for the country"- EVERYONE wants that! What is the consequence of that though? And does it serve all of us equally, fairly, or just me, the voter.
Hopefully you take this as I mean it and not how to parent your child ;)
What a great comment, Eve! I actually think we in the US should be required to vote, and it should be as easy as possible. I agree with Cassandra that I also saw what could happen in this British election. There will be a government, but perhaps I would prefer a different one. Twenty thousand police laid off, and then all this terror! I'm also not sure May can do much to influence our very peculiar US situation. She will have her hands full. Many things need to be ironed out so that our grandchildren can have a century worthy of them!
Delete@Tammy: I totally agree with you!! Thankfully, my daughter is very much like me (if I may say so! ;-)) ), so facts are very important to her (thank goodness for that!). She wants to know the "when/where and HOW" about things, if you know what I mean. Still, it was exactly THAT which caused this "Why shall I vote"-feeling. Politicians and facts - uhhhh... Politicians and keeping promises - uhhhhh. We´ve had our fair share of "Who cares about facts and promises"-politicians in recent times, haven´t we? Unfortunately, this puts young people rather "off" politics - instead of "Hey, we gotta do something about this". But I can see now - and maybe that´s the only good thing coming out of all the recent nationalism and populism? - that young people say "Enough is enough". And I´m SO glad they do!
DeleteEve, I saw some Germans won a judgement on restricting the hours their neighbours could smoke on their balcony - take note!
DeleteYAY, 🎉
Delete@Julia: THANKS SO MUCH!!! Now that IS quite an extraordinary judgement, based on the supreme court judgement - and apparently the smokers have to pay 250000(!!)Euros or go to jail if they don´t comply!! A major step in the right direction - it´s just so difficult and so tedious to go through the courts... Still, it´s a beginning and certainly helps the position of any non-smoker in dealing with smoking neighbours.
DeleteThanks, Julia, that was stellar of you!! :-)))))
Surreptitiously put a copy of the article on their doors. :)
DeleteI agree with others that is is unacceptable Kate has been absent during these difficult times in England the past couple weeks. This is why she gets bad press and they are labeled work shy. She will be going just shy of a month with no official engagements, and there is no excuse for why she didn't visit Manchester with William. She employs a full time nanny and has many other hands to help in her day to day life that makes it easy for her to "work," unlike the average working mother.
ReplyDeleteNo one knows the reasons for Kate not being more visible. Could there have been a change in security protocol? Perhaps until authorities get a better grip on just what happened and reassess these threats, having them both attend together is prohibited right at the moment. We have no idea what is going on "behind closed doors" on this very serious matter. Lighten up... Also, the tops for B.A.R. sailing are cute, but way too short. Unless Kate's top is specially made for her, it's going to be too short,
ReplyDeleteA change in security protocol? Interesting that the Queen, Charles, Harry, even William did not get the memo.:))
DeleteI agree, Joan, that we don't know the reasons she did not attend and need to give her the benefit of the doubt. I noticed that that shirt was too short, too.
DeleteThanks Rachel ❤️
DeleteAgreed, Joan. They cannot expose new security measures and none of the royals have attended anything in pairs since the London Bridge attack. Regardless of whether she's at hospital visiting wounded children or at an activity day participating with children, the bottom line is she's helping a cause. I don't blame them for not publishing any schedules right now in light of all that's happened in a week's time.
DeleteWe all know Kate is very hands on and right now she needs a new housekeeper, to move her family's life to London, to prepare for the Germany and Poland trips, to prepare for the Spanish state visit that has already been postponed twice!, and chase two babies around! We all take summer vacations and spend time with our families - shouldn't she? Especially with London under attack lately. She's probably terrified to go to announced engagements.
My point is, let her be. She's a parent, a wife, a sister, a daughter. I believe those roles far more important than the royal one.
Berlyann5, a bit of inevitable fear is understandable but realistically Kate is actually very lucky for being one of the few people who DOESN'T have a reason to be terrified for her own safety as a result of the recent attacks in Britain and similar ones in Europe in general! If any of the victims of the attacks had protection officers like Kate does, there's a huge chance their assailant wouldn't have gotten anywhere near them. Heck, huge chance they would have been stopped before they even initiated the attack since Kate also has entire departments of the nation's intelligence services dedicated to just protecting her and her family (and I suppose top politicians too). Anyways, no one is saying they need to publish her schedule in advance (although they're the ones who just did for at least one engagement lol), but we are commenting on her ACTUAL schedule, or lack thereof, for the past month or so.
DeleteAlso btw Camila and Charles did a joint engagement after the London Bridge attack, in response to the attack.
Berlyann, you said that so well. I wrote a similar post that hasn't posted yet, before I read yours. We forget the many roles she has, and she does need privacy and family time.
DeleteUmm Annette she hasn't been doing work for almost a month how much privacy and family time do you think she needs? For god sakes we aren't asking her to work 100 hour work weeks or anything just show any ounce of work ethic or initiative
DeleteAgree Berlyann and Annette. None of us know all she has on her "plate" personality or as it pertains to her public duties. Her first priority is to her family...period.
DeleteJoan we aren't asking her to abandon her children. They won't die if she spends a few hours each day doing actual royal work. And comforting victims of terrorist attacks should maybe come before sitting at home
DeleteMillions of young mothers have to go back to full time work after their children are born. Two public appearances a week shouldn't deprive too onerous, even with the preparation needed. And it's not as if she would have to commute anywhere. I am fed up yo the back teeth of the absence when people in the country were looking for much more presence from the Royal Family, not less. The Queen, of course, was there. But her sense of duty is rather a different one from her grandchildren's generation.
DeleteKate may have more protection than the rest of us, but i wouldn't want to be in her position. All the PPO's around her can't change the fact that she's a high-profile target whether she's on duty or not.
Delete14:23. What with bullet proof windows, draperies that protect from shattered glass, bomb proof toilets and PPO's 24/7 and who knows what else, I think it is safe to say that Kate's existence, even from just a security perspective is very much surreal.
DeleteGiven all the security measures, being out in the open while at home or just simply out-and-about is being out in the open. No one can really fully protect her while she is out in the open. (And I'm not speaking anything bad over her and her family. They will remain safe.) Out in the open includes carriage rides to Trooping the Color, walk-abouts, even playing in the yard with her children, etc., those are all potentially vulnerable scenarios. As I have said before, kudos to them for even going outside their homes. I am sure that the recent events have given her cause for concern, although I don't think security had anything to do with her not making an appearance for Manchester or those in London though.
You all do realize that out of William, George, Charlotte and Kate, that Kate is the most expendable from a security point of view, right? Philip more expendable than HM, Camilla more expendable than POW. That's just the way it works, and if the Queen, Charles, and William are all out meeting responders and victims, Kate can too.
DeleteI agree with your last sentence, SG, actually all of it. I think we will eventually get an announcement or some reference that will shed light on this intriguing development. Time will tell. I think we need to withhold judgement until the facts are in.
DeleteP. S. As I said, I don't think Kate not doing stuff is because of security reasons. I have no idea why she hasn't been out and about but it is not because of security concerns, in my opinion.
DeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteLovely coverage as usual. I am drooling over the Marchesa gown! I would love to see Kate in something so elegant and stunning. The detail and color are exquisite.
I too would love to see a recap of William's duties. I think it odd as well that Kate did not visit Manchester with him, and I hope to see an upswing in duties in the coming weeks and months, it's been awfully quiet.
Have a great weekend!
There have been very few events done by any of the royals recently. One of the reporters (fairly negative about W and K normally) said that royals keep a low profile at election time and this is probably going to be one of the most important elections in the 21st century. Kate draws big press so she certainly should not be distracting attention from issues of state. It in my opinion would be more than inappropriate if she did.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense, seems to be a good explanation for Kate not having had any public engagements in the last few weeks.
DeleteGood point, alimai. I do believe there is more going on behind the scenes than what we see. I always remember William's engagement video and his comment about paddling like ducks underneath. There's always unreported stuff we don't know about going on.
DeleteKate couldn't do just ONE morning or afternoon at a hospital or with first responders? Or at a children's event? Come on guys there's just no excuse for not making ONE appearance.
DeleteActually, the ceremonies of Trooping aren't being downsized. The announcement was that the ceremony of opening of Parliament will be simplified, as it will take place so soon after Trooping due to rescheduling based on the election date. For example, no parade or carriages-the Queen and Prince Phillip will arrive by car. Prince Charles and Camilla will not accompany her-which I don't think has anything to do with the schedule changes due to the election, so I am not sure why this was listed. Also, no horses and HM will not be gowned in formal clothing-just daytime attire. She will not wear the crown or a tiara.
DeleteThis scenario is quite similar to the Scandinavian protocol for their openings of Parliament.Abagail
I see the point you are making alimai but, I think, that one appearance relating to the victims would not have been out of order at all. As a matter of fact, it would have been very much in order.
DeleteThere may very well be circumstances that we are unaware of for her absence, however, it makes her look selfish or out of touch to not be heard from at this time, and how things look are as important as how things actually are.
When every other senior royal hasn't really lightened up on their workload (just switched up their types of engagements) I'm not sure why Kate somehow is so special that she still has to do so. Harry is the most popular member of the family these days and he's been very public with an Australia visit/Invictus Games promotion just this week. The Queen herself visited victims of the Manchester attack and that's one of the most high profile things a BRF member could do given the inherent political nature of the aftermath of these attacks.
DeleteEven if she couldn't do something in relation to the attacks (although if even the Queen could...), what would happen if she visited a hospice or Action for Addiction or something? That is not even close to high profile enough to be election-inappropriate.
A poster on another site suggested that since Kate is patron of the Art Room and believes that art therapy is helpful for young people dealing with traumatic situations, this would have been the perfect opportunity for her to show up at the hospital with some art supplies and spend some time with children doing art work. Imo, this would have been a wonderful, out-of-the-box response from the Duchess and I find it such a shame that neither her nor her staff seem to be able to come up with any responses that deviate from the royal norm, show up, shake hands, smile and leave.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I find it odd that neither William, Kate or Harry responded to these tragic events from the mental health stand point. I mean those young people have experienced what will be, probably, the most traumatic event of their lives and will, understandably feel it's affects for many years to come. What a perfect time for W&K&H to bring their mental health understanding to the fore front.
My understanding of the younger royals is that they represent the face of a "modern" royal family and are anxious to do things their own way but in reality they seem to be stuck in the "traditional", do no more than smile and shake hands mentality of the Queen.
I'm sorry if my post seems to be negative but it's so frustrating that when Kate is presented with the perfect opportunity to show how caring and compassionate she is or in her own words "I hope I can make a difference, even in the smallest way. I am looking forward to helping as much as I can", she just doesn't. Now's the time Kate, now's the time.
Those are great suggestions, Laura.
DeleteAgree with surfer girl, Laura. Excellent suggestions.
DeleteAgreed with surfer girl - love the suggestions, Laura! Especially since one of the big reasons given for why Kate has much fewer patronages than most royals is that she (and William/Harry) want to go beyond the base-level ribbon-cutting that they associate the older royals and their having 31948120938 patronages with. Well, if it's about doing more and going more in depth, then these suggestions are a fantastic way of doing so and showing the worth of having so few patronages.
DeleteI will join in with the choir here. Really good ideas, Lauri and nice to see you!
DeleteI enjoy when you include events and activities that William is involved in. Thank you for including those in your posts.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading anything about William and Katherine and find that your posts are informative and truthful. Thanks from USA.
ReplyDeleteYes you should update william and catherine i too enjoy it . you should do more the royal trio
ReplyDeleteWondering why there haven't been any engagements for Kate the last week's. Don't think she's expecting with the move to London this summer/autumn and more engagements... But who knows!
ReplyDeleteCurious which city they will visit in Germany as I live close to Munich.
Charlotte, I'm with the others who would like to see a brief summary of William's work on a monthly basis. Maybe not strictly monthly, but especially in those times when there's a gap in Catherine's visible-to-the-public activity.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to include a wrap-up of William's solo work, Charlotte. Not only does it provide further input on the varied types work the couple carries out, but it also helps to think about the types of work William carries out versus what the Royal couple attends together. It's interesting to try to learn the strategy behind solo versus couple engagements.
ReplyDeleteMy respects and condolences to your British readers... our hearts are with you and we pray these senseless tragedies may end. Let love prevail.
Well, if Kate kept a low profile because of the election, it certainly backfired and hit her right in the face. Mr C is the most ardent republican. He has said he won't pursue abolishing of the monarchy for now because the country has indicated that it doesn't want that - but any hint of that changing, he would be on it immediately - William and Kate have more reason than ever to make themselves relevant - I trust they are privately shaking at this result.
ReplyDeleteIt is true election time is not a time for flashy big royal events, but no one in the country or the planet could have objected to Kate going to Manchester or accompanying William to Belgium or visiting a hospice during hospice week and so forth. Quite honestly, if she was out and about more often, her position would be normalised and there would be less attention to every time she appears. When Diana was steadily working, there wasn't so much attention to every visit. The queen and Charles have kept on working. And of course, in this period there was the huge publicity of Pippa's wedding, how nice it would have been to have balanced that exercise in excess with work, especially at a time when people's thoughts aren't on frivolity.
And of course, if anyone could get her out, it would be Ben I suppose. I have said before I have no problem with "light" royal engagements, and I put sailing in that category, along with matches and premieres, they always have a charitable connection but they are mainly fun for the royals - but it needs to balanced with some serious work. Kate has been very light on serious visits of late - even the mental health scheme was about videos and the marathon in the last weeks. And again I will say, Cassandra that I am, that William and Kate need to get out there and engage the country - particularly the young people who were a large part of this election result. Charles and Camilla can't do it - no matter what position they're in - there is no blog on them for a reason - no interest. And no interest means a feeling there is no need - the days when the monarchy could be quietly there are slipping away.
As for safety, I've said it over and over. The country pays for royal security - the single largest expense but at the same time since the public is expected to carry on, so are the royals - if that changes, the mood about the royal family will change. And if Kate is too sensitive to deal with tragedy, she is going to be worthless as a princess - because we all have to get out there and deal with it - however little we might wish to - and royals will be expected to represent that.
As for William, I would support hearing about his engagements perhaps once a month. I admit it, I enjoy following female royals more and suspect many agree as most close royal followers are women.
Thank you so much for the update, Charlotte? I am ready for another tiara event. Why don't the British royals wear their tiaras as often as the other European royals? It seems so sad and such a waste to just let all that jewelry sit in the vaults. As far as Ascot is concerned, I really hope the will attend this year and regularly after that. I know that class divisions seem outdated for a 21st century, but if there weren't class divisions, the Monarchy may as well cease to exist. If they become like everyone else, they cease to be interesting.
ReplyDeleteRachel, I couldn't agree more about Ascot and class divisions. It seems especially hypocritical of William to think that of Ascot given his love for polo especially....and also his general willingness to accept public funding for renovations and security that is a result of....class divisions.
DeleteSomeone makes a suggestion of what Kate might be doing or thinking and the next thing is I see her being judged and harshly criticized for what was conjecture to begin with. Did Kate say she was off camera due to security reasons? election neutrality? pregnancy? trying on hats? playing with her children? Every bit of that s speculation. How many, many times have we criticized Kate for not publicizing her activities, only to find out later that she had been making discreet contacts with families involved in her charity work or filming a video. William is the heir to heir. He is the one in the Cambridge family who needs to be highlighted. He is obviously out and about publically. When they are William IV and Queen Catherine then it will be appropriate to compare their activities to George VI and "the Queen Mum." Meanwhile, there are plenty of interesting stories a royal fashion/lifestyle blog can be discussing- including William's activities. Abagail
ReplyDeleteRachel above suggests one topic-do other European royals actually wear their tiaras more often?
"I have to be seen to be believed"
DeleteRoyal life cannot be lived indoors especially in turbulent national times.
ONE brief public engagement in 3 weeks couldn't be done?
We could count those times easily on one hand - in fact, I'm hard put to think of more than a couple of instances. Few people who have that sort of contact keep it private.
DeleteThe wife of the heir is just as important as the heir - he rises - or falls as Charles has - based on her and her popularity. As I've said, that's because following a monarchy is primarily a female occupation. Few men care - and more men are republicans.
A royal is judged by one thing - as the queen said, 'I must be seen to be believed' Not seen, not believed in, no matter what the reason.
William will be William V not William IV if he gets that far - (Previous Williams were the Conqueror, Rufus, William III of William & Mary and Victoria's uncle who was William IV.) if William doesn't get more involved with the nation soon, there's not much point in worrying about that distant, at this point purely hypothetical, time. Kate may be Queen Catherine - or a princess consort - my guess is if Camilla truly takes the consort title and given the issue of differences between male and female titles, there could be changes there.
The most important thing is to be the public face of the nation - that is the brief of the job - that is what is being supported by state funds and royal housing. Private work is lovely but can only be of value where there's sufficient public work.
I don't think royals actually wear tiaras per se more often - it's just that top British royals don't generally attend those mass royal events - or haven't in recent years. Overall, I feel this is a mistake - and the failure to have a representative at Fabiola's funeral a disaster - but at this moment - it's not a time for tiaras.
Abagail, when people mention the possibility of security, elections, pregnancy, motherhood, etc. as reasons for Kate not working, they are defending her. When people preemptively explaining why those excuses are not valid, in terms of basic logic and argument construction, that isn't attacking her further. That is people choosing not to be shallow and quick to attack, and instead willing to consider possible reasons Kate maybe fairly could not work lately. It's people trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, and/or responding to those who have presented things like security as a reason she couldn't work.
DeleteAlso, you say "How many, many times have we criticized Kate for not publicizing her activities, only to find out later that she had been making discreet contacts with families involved in her charity work or filming a video." Could you please give one example of this? Even private engagements and meetings are record with the court circular, and as far as I can remember, every video she has filmed has been done during the course of a public engagement, except for once but even then it was recorded in the court circular as her visiting a hospital or something, just not with media. And what discreet contacts with families involved in her charity work? Again, even private meetings are recorded in the Court Circular these days.
Also royals are meant to (mostly) be doing their charity work publicly. Kate has no qualifications or training or job history necessary for being a behind-the-scenes organizer or planner of charity work - her most useful attribute for charities in almost all cases is the public attention she can bring to them, but that requires doing things publicly. Charities have the option of many people to help them like you or I could help them, but only a select few like Kate can bring the power of immediate publicity to the table. Discrete contacts with families as a primary charity strategy is a waste of that power and platform.
Anyone can search past meetings, engagements etc (public or private) for any member of the royal family on royal.uk
DeleteThe court circular can be found there recording any royal "work". The last entry for Kate is the flower show on 22 May. If you search the Queen you'll see anything from daily meetings and audiences to a day at the races.
"How many, many times have we criticized Kate for not publicizing her activities, only to find out later that she had been making discreet contacts with families involved in her charity work or filming a video. "
DeleteI don't really recall more than one time when she was filming a video and we heard about it later. And all of that is in the Court Circular now. What other instances are you thinking of Abagail ? Everything Kate does is in the CC, to the best of my knowledge.
I'm with Maggie and Rosman. What discrete contacts? She sent a typed letter to one child. You mean that? If she is doing more, that's a lovely thing but in no way abrogates her responsibilities to the public at large. And, if there office were a little more forthcoming, then that would stop some of the speculation.
DeleteAnd, if I choose to look at Kate and look at what other people are doing that's my prerogative. I suspect you wouldn't mind if she didn't come up lacking.
LOL I came SO close to commenting on the previous post last night and saying something along the lines of "I'm a little afraid (yet wouldn't be shocked if) after almost a month off, Kate's "work" is going to be sailing-related." Some of her patronages may not get actual visits very year, but she never fails to show up for sailing - usually multiple times too, so I guess she's actually a little behind this year lol.
ReplyDeleteIf you couldn't tell already :P, I'm experiencing some frustration about Kate's very light workload lately. Her May was incredibly light aside from the day in Luxembourg (if 3 hours can be called that) - her other engagements were playing with animals, 2 garden parties, and looking at flowers. After that, taking almost a whole month off, even after the two attacks? Unless she's pregnant, it's inexcusable imo.
Yes, terror-related threats are high for the BRF, but if the monarch and her two direct heirs can continue public engagements (and in William's case, a private job) despite security risks, then there's no reason Kate, who would face less security constraints than the monarch or her heirs, can't as well. Also the recent attacks in Britain (and Europe in general) don't indicate any higher risk to the BRF. It's the general public that should be worried, bc these attacks are increasing and successful (and terrifying) bc it requires no special tools and very little planning or help to swerve a car onto a sidewalk or randomly stab people with a knife, and so it's almost impossible to detect in advance. The only way the public would be protected against these kinds of things is if they had security dedicated to protecting each of them at all times - protection that the public doesn't have for itself, but DOES pay for Kate to have (along with intelligence services focused solely on stopping attacks against the BRF). Targeting royals automatically requires more tools and planning that makes it easier to detect a plot, and if not, the PO's are still there to protect them in general, so the truth is the BRF is the least at risk for these terror attacks happening in Britain/Europe lately, thanks to the security forces the public pays for. So it seems like the least Kate could do is show up for something in relation to one of the attacks. And even if the public didn't pay for her protection, as the future Queen consort how could she feel okay NOT doing something when her schedule was free? I truly truly hope this was not just another instance of putting her children first.
As for the elections meaning staying low profile - Pippa's wedding was hugely publicized as basically a royal event, and the participation of the kids also led to one of the rare times the public got to see them. If that kind of high profile is okay, then I daresay some engagements are as well. There is really no excuse for not doing something pretty low-profile like visiting a hospice during hospice week - the video barely got any press, and I can't imagine that would be improper bc of elections when all the other senior royals kept up with their work. And if high profile is bad, shouldn't they have delayed the most recent Diana remembrance, since nothing brings more attention to the BRF than evoking her memory?
Anyways, I really hope Kate's summer is not just the usual ceremonial stuff, polo, sailing, and tennis, with only the Germany/Poland tour needing much prep/heft.
I just want to know-are those Spaniels on Princess Astrid's jacket? Abagail
ReplyDeleteI am as usual late to this party. I am surprised when people start getting mad over Kate not showing up to some important event or letting them down, because Kate has always done this - this is who she is in her royal life. And the endless excuses are also amusing - how much do we have to contort ourselves to justify her ridiculously pampered life - pregnancy !! security !! too fragile to handle other people's grief. It's hilarious.
ReplyDeleteKate has made it clear that she wishes to put her family first always. Royal duties come second. She has been consistent on this and this year is no different. She does what is expected of her in terms of the bare minimum of appearances, but has never stepped one foot out of her way to do anything beyond that. Therefore I am not at all surprised that she did not visit Manchester or London victims. It is totally what I expected. In fact I don't think it would even cross her mind to step out and visit victims spontaneously.
Now, obviously, none of this means that I think this is a good idea. I would love to have been surprised and see her do something beyond what they pencil into her calendar months in advance. But this is the reality. And unfortunately this is what we sign up for when we decide to follow Kate.
I wouldn't say mad, Rosman. But it is coming up on summer which is historically quiet, but we're talking about May here and she didn't do anything other than go to a garden show. Maybe one other thing? I'm too lazy to go look. And I guess I'm caring a whole lot less whether she does anything or not to be honest. She's become dull.
DeleteCharlotte do you think there's any truth to speculation Kate's been on a post wedding holiday with the middletons?
ReplyDeleteHello,
DeleteThere's been rumours although nothing concrete. I will update if anything becomes available, but I expect there would have been a sighting at some point.
A big thank you to everyone for sharing feedback on coverage of William. I think a monthly wrap up will do nicely. A word of thanks to Moxie and Rebecca (and others) who suggested it recently.
If it wouldn't add too much to your workload, Charlotte, I would love to see more about Prince William's activities. To me, admittedly from a far, far remove, it seems as if he is maturing nicely and growing into his role, in much the same way that Catherine has been doing. I won’t comment on her absence these past few weeks because everything that has been said so far is conjecture, and we don’t have any idea of what may be going on behind the scenes. I will say that I truly admire Ariana Grande and friends for putting on that wonderful show in Manchester so soon after the attack, as well as the hospital visits she made to some of the victims of that dreadful violence. The amount of courage and empathy she has shown is certainly admirable. We lost a Canadian in the London attack, who died in her fiancĂ©es arms, and it sounds as if she was a wonderful person as well. My sympathy goes out to anyone affected by these tragedies - it may not sound realistic, but I still hope that, eventually, a way will be found which will allow all of us to live together in harmony.
ReplyDeleteDid some quick research on what these Land Rover BAR roadshows are, mostly bc I was curious why they're called roadshows when those typically refer to going around a country specifically for marketing and getting investments for a company and such, which didn't feel right for a charity. This isn't mentioned in the official releases about the events, but interestingly, it seems like ultimately the roadshows are centered around displaying and promoting Land Rover's newest car, the Discovery. As even the official releases say, the STEM-based stuff at these roadshows is premised on the real-life example of the Land Rover BAR team's use of STEM to try and win the America's Cup. What that means is that all the STEM-based stuff is *also* about showing how Land Rover specifically did some awesome things to help design the best raceboat for winning. And those awesome things are tied by the event into their cars being great bc of them too.....enter the new Discovery, available at the roadshows to be test driven even.
ReplyDeleteThis all reminded me of an article I read after one of Kate and William's BAR visits about how it's telling that despite royals avoiding logos in general, Kate (and William) haven't shied away from promoting Land Rover and its logo by wearing official America's Cup gear often in relation to America's Cup events, which also have been Kate's most common patronage-related engagements over the past 3 years. Almost makes me wonder if to a certain extent, Kate's sailing engagements are like William's polo - both something she enjoys personally and also, chosen in part based on the sponsor of the event just like William always plays at polos sponsored by Audi, for example - another car company they have deals for very cheap cars with. If it's not intentional, then KP is really messing up by having Kate attend something that is so much about product promotion even if it teaches kids some STEM along the way. If it is intentional, well, it's a very explicit decision that is a little gaudy (for lack of a better term) for royals but such is the way of royal life and getting discount cars.
Btw here's one of my sources and some quotes: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sailing/ben-ainslie-racing/sailing-classes-for-children/
"Land Rover will be showcasing the key performance projects on which it has collaborated with Ainslie, including pure aerodynamic; aerodynamic/structural interaction; structural; human-machine interface; and data analysis using machine learning.
Large parts of the 2017 America’s Cup Class boats are dictated by regulations, meaning the marginal gains to be made in the areas of collaboration between Land Rover and BAR could prove crucial, and make the difference the team needs to win this summer.
Don’t miss the chance to see Land Rover’s all-new Discovery, which will also take pride of place at the events. It was born of many of the same digital and physical simulation tools used to design Ainslie’s R1 race boat – the fastest match-racing catamaran ever built in the UK, capable of a 60mph top speed in the right conditions."
"Land Rover is the Title and Exclusive Innovation Partner to Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR).
The Telegraph and Land Rover are showcasing how Land Rover BAR are pushing technological boundaries to help bring the America's Cup home, and advancing Land Rover engineering to benefit product development such as the all-new Land Rover Discovery."
Wow.. thanks for this. I guess the royals love their land rovers. Have to keep 'em coming !
DeleteSeriously Maggie. The sailing trust is a tax dodge for the car company sponsoring them. It's got a nice charitable veneer but you don't have to dig far to see it's not.
DeleteWon't the new date for the Spanish state visit interfere with William and Kate's July trip to Germany and Poland?
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, you do such a great job with your blog. I too would be happy to see a brief summary of William's solo work. Plus fun to see his attire and comments.
ReplyDeleteHello everyone. Charlotte, I don't want to over work you; but yes, seeing some of Prince Wiiliam's work on this blog was nice. I look forward to seeing more of him. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAt long last Kate has decided to make an appearance! but as others say not a serious engagement.
ReplyDeleteI have not been surprised at her absence for a while we know William was working with the Air Ambulance the week following Pippa's wedding and no doubt Kate was settling G & C back into routine the following week there was little activity from any Royals I am not sure why but I had thought we might see her this week. William has only done one each week and the Manchester one would not have been scheduled so he also has not done much however what has made me so angry has not been the lack of work as the fact that Kate did not accompany William to Manchester. I think she was an utter disgrace. We don't know why & can only surmise either she couldn't be bothered and lacks compassion or possibly William didn't want her with him as increasingly in my opinion he seems to prefer being on his own and this was a trip he requested. It is noticeable that there have been no joint away days this year.
I can appreciate why she was not in Belgium as seeing the photographs of the representation from UK Ireland & Belgium it would have been overkill if both W & K had been there on behalf of the UK as bearing in mind the event was to commemorate the sacrifice of Irish troops in that battle Ireland was only represented by their Prime Minister and Belgium by Princess Astrid I think the decision on our representation would have been made by the foreign Office but Manchester was entirely different.
Regrettably Kate does not seem to be so passionate about the causes she is involved with as William is with his.
I hope we soon get information on their visit to Poland & Germany as Charlotte has said everything has been very quiet these last few weeks no doubt the postponement of the Spanish State visit has been partially responsible for the lack of activity.
I am not sure how you define an away day, but off the top of my head I can think of the Irish Guard, Paris, several Heads Together events, and the Westminster Abbey service after the London atrocity, all of which were jointly attended, some with Harry. There may have been others earlier in the year.
DeleteNice update, Charlotte. I figured everyone was laying low after the tragedy last week. Praying for peace and safety for all!
ReplyDeleteYes, it would be very nice to see what William does on a regular basis. I think many here have no idea. From previous comments, I think many assume he doesn't do much so anything to inform folks and dispel the intense criticism sounds good to me. Thanks for all your work!
Such a sad world right now. I have to say, I am disappointed, but not surprised, that Kate hasn't appeared since the Flower Show. I can't fathom what excuse could be made, that would be believable, for her absence. Especially in light of the tragic events this month. At least William is out there, and it would be nice to have a monthly wrap up of his appearances.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Charlotte, for the update. I would have like to see Catherine join William on his visit to Manchester. I imagine she would have like to have been there as well. I can only assume she was needed elsewhere, most likely at home with her children.
ReplyDeleteI do like the idea of a semi-regular update on William's solo engagements. Either as a "Kate Loves" post or having his own section like George and Charlotte do. And frankly, an interesting thing to track (maybe boring, but interesting/funny) would be all of William's ties. Men's attire doesn't vary too much from day to day, especially on official engagements. But their ties do. :) And we could probably document his whole collection.
Thanks again, Charlotte! Hope all is well with you.
I like the idea of a separate "William" section like the children have. He is the reason she is a princess and why she has a blog to begin with. He is at least as relevant to Kate as the children. I think it should be up-dated once a month as a summary and also additional information when indicated. I think his appearances at the Belgium ceremonies and in Manchester are examples of significant activities that aren't usually covered in a Kate post. I don't think we need to know about every FA appearance, for example. Abagail
DeletePublic activity is of course what we can follow of William's work. But this morning when I heard Theresa May's words "I have been to the Queen. . ." I remembered prime ministers commenting that the Queen is a wise and experienced adviser who gives them a sense of security. Then I found myself picturing William somewhere in the future hosting a prime minister trying to form a government under shaky circumstances. I can picture that with Charles, even though he is not one of my favorite people. I think he is prepared for it. But William? I hope the Queen has been able to impart a sense of what will be required of him in terms of the constitution. To me, this is more fundamental to his and the UK's future than ceremony and symbolism, even though those are the visible aspect of his role. I think William has had a glimpse of what will be required of him. And I expect the thought of following his grandmother as a wise head of state is intimidating. It is when I think of William as king that I am most glad he has been an ambulance and rescue pilot, because his demonstrated empathy and experience with people will have to be the basis of his own mature wisdom and ability.
ReplyDeletewisdom.
And the Queen had to start somewhere. I doubt Winston Churchill found her to be a "wise and experienced advisor". One should not judge William way before his time by Elizabeth with more than 70 years on the throne. If anything, William with a greater exposure and understanding of ordinary people than Elizabeth or Charles ever had growing up, will be better positioned to take up the Crown when his time comes.
DeletePatricia I was reading some financial planning material this week, and your comment made me think of one statistic I saw :) The majority of wealthy families lose their wealth by the third generation, and the number one reason? The "elders" don't talk to the next generation, or prepare them on how to handle the inheritance or just how to handle money. They either indulge them too much, so they have no sense of value, or are much too strict, so they spend wildly when the money is theirs. Both end in the same result, the money is gone.
DeleteIt may sound strange but it made me think of the Queen, Charles, William and Kate. HM by all accounts is very thrifty, so Charles became quite extravagant and pampered. Charles indulged William so much (and Carole did the same to Kate) that it's unclear (to some of us at least) if William or Kate have any sense of value and duty.
Now in fairness, William is a man in his 30's and much will hopefully change by the time he's in his 50's, but it won't happen by magic. So I agree with you completely, one generation talking to, preparing, and planning with the next is quite valuable advice all round.
I agree with most of your comment, Patricia. I do think we need to remember that
Delete1) calling on the Queen is a traditional, probably constitutional, act of any newly elected PM and Ms. May needed to solidify her position ASAP;
And 2)
HM did not land on the throne as a wise, all-knowing counselor. In fact, the pupil and teacher roles were more a matter of the new queen learning from her PMs. Wasn't Churchill her first PM?
There are many areas, I am sure, in which Charles could function as a useful leader. I personally doubt political advisor is or should be one of them. Theresa May made a point of mentioning the Queen perhaps more of a reference to the PM's political status as a conservative than as a commendation of HM's advice-giving talent. There is a popular play with Helen Mirren that covers the Queen and her PMs. I have not seen it but it is my impression from reading over the years that the Queen visit is seen as a symbolic act by a number of PMs, a unwelcomed duty by others, and a source of guidance for a few.
I think fulfilling the role of a monarch is similar to the process of being a US president. One learns the most important stuff on the job. Experience is not the only teacher, but it is an effective one.Abagail
Some very good points Patricia.
DeleteLet's hope that the Queen has mentored him properly. It was reported when he attended Eton that the Queen had him meet with her weekly to ostensibly receive training in things of state. Whether those type of meetings have occurred after Eton hasn't been mentioned in the media.
My guess is that because he did receive the awarding of the Order of the Garter that he at least has received a fair semblance of information about his future governing role. Not that the two are related but I think that award would not have been given if he hasn't been properly prepared to also be king.
Yes, Laura and Abagail, Churchill was the wise old counselor and mentor then. The new Queen was 25 years old. Her father and her tutor had prepared her, but she had much to learn.
DeleteAnd yes, Abagail, I was remarking about the required visit from the prime minister to the Queen after an election. Cameron resigned; May hopes to continue. I believe the comments from various PMs about the Queen's advice is more concerned with governing than with politics. Her role as head of state is intended to be above, or at least separate from, politics.
Good comparison, Claudia. Increasingly shared responsibility works well in the financial realm. Only Charles is really in a position to share to some extent with the Queen. She did take William under her wing when he was a student, but he was a bit young to learn the governmental ropes. I hope she has found ways to continue meeting with him and continuing his education.
As we all know HM said in a speech broadcast to the CW on her 21st birthday, "...I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service..." While I am sure she had a speech-writer for that awesome and uplifting speech (especially uplifting given the state of the post-WW II Europe), I can't imagine Will expressing the same sentiment, in his own words, a speech-writer's words, or anyone else's words. Of course, Elizabeth did not expect to ascend to the throne as soon as she did but at least publicly she appeared to acknowledge she felt a duty to serve and more importantly, she appeared to embrace it. While her words may not have reflected her inner feelings, it seems to me that regardless of the "learning curve" HM had after her father died, in many ways she was way ahead at 21 years old of where Will is at 34.
DeleteI hope she has taught him well, but Will strikes me as quite "reluctant." I've read stories about Will being careful to not "outshine" more senior royals and have read the same about Kate. I'd believe that a bit more if I heard words like "service" and "duty" in their PR from KP more often. Instead we hear words like "priorities" and "privacy" much more often.
Yes, Churchill mentored the Queen but there might not be such an experienced PM in office when/if William becomes King, so it's best not to rely on that.
DeleteSomewhat behind events but with reference to William I bought a the GQ mag and found the editors comments on the event quite enlightening. It would appear that the intention was just a photo of William but it would seem that both Kate and G & C were present & I quote "The family pictures happened by accident as both G & C were more than intrigued by the circle unfolding around their father a photographic session that looked for a while as if it was being directed by the Duchess herself(who had as keen a creative a creative eye as anyone else on the shoot " I am sure many other readers will have read this but taking those photos certainly gave the whole interview more publicity whatever one may think of them black & white invariably reproduce as rather stark.
ReplyDeleteReferring to the interview it self I found it interesting somewhat surprised that he should say how important having the stability of a family was considering his recent behaviour on the Ski trip which certainly did not convey a loyal and loving husband and I felt it was noticeable when asked how he coped when needing to talk about things he replied he had friends who were good listeners no reference to Kate I do just wonder how strong that marriage is. They clearly appear to still have a strong friendship and seem to agree on the life they want for G & C and I am sure William would not want G & C to suffer as he and Harry did but the W & K relationship I am not sure.
It would be good to have a monthly wrap up on some of William's events with so little variety from Kate it would give us more to comment on.
Referring to the
To be honest you don't no anything, none of us know, about the private love relationship between two people, not even when they're royal.
DeleteI don't think a quick blurb in a magazine interview is a great way to judge anything about the strength of a marriage. It's possible he mentioned friends because he thought that would be something more people could easily adapt, vs needing to be married if he had talked about Kate. It's possible he was counting Kate as one of those friends in his mind. Or maybe, and I'm not married but I think I can still safely say, that it's healthy for people to endeavor to have close friends they can count on even after getting married. And I'm sure there's sometimes "guy stuff" that he feels his guy friends would be more helpful with than Kate for obvious reasons and through no fault of her own.
DeleteFirst of all thank you so much Charlotte for this blog. I am following for a long time and truly enjoy the coverage!! :-) ... I also enjoy to read the discussions in the comment section and it feels like I know many of you for quite some time, which is weird, because you dont know me...so I decided to jump right in and join the discussion.
ReplyDeleteI like Rosmans point of view to be realistic, but I am not quite sure if this is the truth. "Kate has made it clear that she wishes to put her family first, always"...Is that something she stated publicly? Or is it something that is assumed by things she has said or how she is getting her duties done? I really dont know, so this is a question for anyone out there who maybe has a link to a document that proves?
Besides seeing things realistic, or genuinely having Kate having it her way because everybody knows how important it is for kids to spend time with their mum and dad, it is fair that people do have expectations to their future King & Queen and they should be able to express their expectations, disappointment or even anger.
I personally find it disturbing that, after the attacks, there hasnt been a visit or at least a written statement, a letter, or a video message from Kate. We are living in the 21st century and they do have a PR department. So I think it wouldnt be too much effort for her to say some words into a camera or to sign a statement someone wrote for her, if security or health are the isssues. Even if she would be on holidays this is something that can be done anywhere and any time. (Ido understand there has been nothing so far, right? As I dont live in the UK I may have missed something).
And I do agree with some commenters on the blog who are criticizing Kate for not getting out there especially because she is so involved in mental health and she has made it a key topic for herself. Kate not getting involved now seems a bit off and gives the impression she does not really care that much (even if she maybe does...but who knows if she doesnt get out?)..So I can only assume it is either her taking this topic not serious enough or getting bad advice from PR.
Other than that I think she is mostly doing a great job representing the monarchy and the UK in the world and I do enjoy to follow her on this blog.
Welcome to the comments section Mel, thank you for sharing your thoughts :)
DeleteYes, welcome Mel. :)
DeleteHi Mel, No I dont think there is a document. I was basing my comments on things that William have said. Raising children is a priority - William has said it or implied it many times usually as a reason for why they are not moving to London or having full-time schedules. Kate's stated position on skipping the Irish Guards last year was that she wanted to spend time with her children - this came from KP. They have said similar things about other engagements as well. Hence the conclusion that she wants to put her children first. I may be wrong. But her actions don't suggest I am.
DeleteCharlotte, thank you for the great post! I'm always impressed by how you manage to put together an informative & thorough post, even with the lull in Kate's engagements. & I do enjoy the William updates, also :) It was touching to see him visit Manchester & offer his condolences...I was a bit disappointed to not see Kate with him, but I think it was appropriate that he met with the first responders, being one himself. I am truly amazed by the resilience & bravery that the people of Manchester & London have displayed during & in the aftermath of these terrible attacks. Such shocking & tragic events. We will not let these terrorists win.
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of Kate's upcoming engagements, I'm not really surprised that we haven't seen her since the Flower Show & her sister's wedding. I was wondering when her next engagement with the 1851 Trust would be, seeing as Land Rover BAR's campaign has ended (go Team NZ! :) I quite like the supporter's Me + Em top, maybe we will see Kate in one on Fri? :) That Marchesa gown you showcased, Charlotte, is divine! I think it is high time we get another 'Kate-in-a-tiara' sighting. I wonder if she will choose a different tiara this time. I'd like to see her & William at Ascot (we need another high fashion moment to drool over) & hopefully Princess Charlotte will make her debut at the polo to watch daddy! :) Sounds like the summer is looking promising for Kate watching.
Well while Kate is MIA, maybe we'll get some fashionable Meghan sightings this weekend! I'm watching MadAboutMeghan for updates Charlotte ;)
ReplyDeleteMe too :)
DeleteWouldn't that be lovely. I also want some photo confirmation that Harry and Meghan are still dating. Am I insecure or what. lol
Deletei would like to see a monthly recap of prince william's solo activities.
ReplyDeleteMaggie you read my mind. My first response to the news that Kate's engagement was sailing with Ben was OMG. How inappropriate and repetitive. Yes the royals like their Land Rovers....
ReplyDeletePippa and James are in Stockholm reportedly to attend a friend's wedding.
ReplyDeleteI like hearing about William's work. A monthly recap would be welcome. I really admire his poise in the public eye, humility, and humor. I'd enjoy hearing more about what he's up to.
ReplyDelete🎂🎉 Happy 96th Birthday Prince Phillip🎉🎂
ReplyDeletePrince Philip is phenomenal.
DeleteThe Queen chose the right man for sure. :)
DeleteShe chose him when she was a girl of thirteen.Abagail
DeleteApparently. Love at first sight. ❤️
DeleteSo glad you've decided to include a summary of Prince William's activities as well. This is very well-written and thorough. Thanks for taking the time to keep us up-to-date.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post, Charlotte, and I'm looking forward to the summaries of William's activities.
ReplyDeleteAs for Kate's absence/silence which makes a lot of people upset, I don't know. It seems to me we perhaps underestimate the Queen's influence on other BRF members' doings or not-doings. With all her wisdom and experience, I can't imagine she wouldn't tell William and Kate to behave differently if she thought it appropriate. I believe William loves his grandmother a lot and I remember Kate's words in the interview for HM's 90th birthday about the Queen's "gentle guidance" to her. Why wouldn't she guide them now? I would say - although it's just speculation - that William's visit to Manchester was consulted with HM or that she encouraged him to go. (I really don't know - and I don't think anyone can know for sure - whether William can simply decide and say "I'm going to Manchester tomorrow" - and go. I tend to think it's not so simple. ) And it's also just guessing but I can imagine HM telling him (for whatever reasons) to go alone; after all, Kate is nothing like "Queen Mum" yet and going there as the only other royal lady after the Queen could be translated as "the Queen didn't do enough - she wasn't warm and personal enough - Kate can do it better - so she had to fix it". I'm not sure if it makes sense but that's how I feel about it.
Whenever I hear people wanting Kate to "step up" , do more, be more visible, active etc., I kind of wince and think (or rather feel): in her present position and with HM still very much in charge, it could easily look like trying to be the centre of attention or trying to show the royals "how to do things better". It 's not her place now to put herself forward, IMO. (But perhaps visiting Manchester wouldn't have been seen as putting herself forward - who knows.)
That being said, I would of course have liked to see her visiting some of the victims, as well as visiting a hospice during the hospice week. It would have been heart-warming. What really made me cross was the announcement of the meeting with Sir Ben. I agree a serious engagement would be much better than a light one right now. I do hope some serious ones will follow, not just Trooping the Colour and Ascot.
I agree with you,Zora. Her Majesty is very much the "CEO" of that Firm.
DeleteZora, I share your sentiments exactly. Not sure all is in Kate's control and hard to determine just who is in control of engagements. It would however, have been nice to see Kate making a hospital visit. While love to see engagements and her calendar fill up, don't know that Sir Ben was the best to be posted next! Looking forward to more engagements and soon, all this time in between makes for great speculation.
DeleteAlso, very much like the summary of Prince William's activities, think the addition to this blog is important and relevant. It is my prediction (speculation) that William and Kate's activities/engagements will definitely ramp up in September, when Prince Philip officially retires. cc
HM is notorious for letting her family members making their own mistakes and not intervening in their lives. However we do know she feels the RF must be seen to be believed/supported. As she has said so.
DeleteIt has also been reported by multiple royal reporters that Kate dictates her schedule/availability. Earliest I can remember is in 2012 by Arbiter I believe, but it has been noted since.
Hope whatever Kate is up to, she is safe and healthy.
It has only been 3 1/2 weeks. The longest Kate has been MIA (while not sick or pregnant or on mat leave) was 53 days I think Dec 2015-Feb 2016.
Zora, hear!! hear!!
DeleteHi Zora, it's been stated multiple times by palace aides that the Duchess is in charge of her own schedule, she is the one deciding which charities to visit and when. So her decision to make her first engagement in almost a month a "light" engagement is strictly her decision not HM's.
DeleteZora, I was thinking the exact same things after reading the criticism of Kate for being work shy or not doing enough. I always imagined, although I could be wrong, that the younger royals were basically given jobs to do, to speak in general terms. That the Queen is in charge, as you say. Not necessarily for Kate to decide what engagements to take on.
DeleteThe queen doesn't control their schedules - they and their secretaries make those decisions. The royal household is not at all centralised and the queen is known to get very little involved in her families schedules.
DeleteThanks for the info, Stephanie, I din't know about the royal reporters (your 2nd paragraph).
DeleteI agree it's very important for HM to make sure the RF is seen to be believed - absolutely. I just think, in this particular case, that for her it's enough to see William do it, not necessarily his wife.
And Lauri, I didn't mean the "light" engagement announced for Kate was HM's decision. I would bet it wasn't :).
William says she does. I have yet to read of a royal who has said, " The Queen lets me do what I please when I please." Far from it. If each royal and their staff acted in isolation in engagement planning it would create chaos. For one thing, they must schedule their engagements and charity visits around official royal events, which are pretty much set in stone as to dates. Reason dictates there simply has to be some central organization and my bet is on BP and the Queen and her staff.
DeleteThere is a difference between private charity visits and official royal duties, however. The official BRF site explains this. We have seen a few times one royal's charity visits competed in news with another's private or official engagements. Supposedly, this was discussed in that controversial emergency staff meeting.
It is true, as is explained on the official site, that each royal is allowed some freedom to select charities that most interest or relate to the individual. The independence and freedom is in the selection, not necessarily in the scheduling. I imagine Charles likely has more discretion in scheduling than some other royals, following the royal pecking order. Abagail
Several royal family members
have commented on the Queen being the boss. Some put it more delicately by referring to her "guidance." Sophie and Kate come to mind. Also, Phillip has been known to offer an opinion or two on family matters.
The image of each royal going about their business completely independent of HM influence is a fantasy, in my opinion, for the stated reasons.
Royal reporters have been known to be wrong. A palace source could be Camilla. Apparently, she is on good terms with the Daily Mail-they recently published an in-depth interview with her.Abagail
DeleteJust a quick comment on William attending the trooping the colour rehearsal yesterday. It seems that the Irish Guards are trooping the colour this year the first time they have done so since William became their Regimental Colonel the last time they did it was in 2009 hence his attendance at the Colonel's review. I looked at the history of the Guards regiments and the oldest one the Coldstream Guards have never had a royal as their Regimental Colonel I am sure many other bloggers are aware of that but I found the history of the Guards Regiments made interesting reading. I hope all goes well for the trooping next week as their Regimental Colonel a very senior military officer has taken that role.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog I have been following it for years.
ReplyDeleteHave you met the Duchess? She should know what a sterling job you do
Amen, 15:49. :)
ReplyDeleteNo Kate and kids at polo. It's nice to see William chasing after little Mia. It would be nice to see the whole family interact at polo.
ReplyDelete16:55, that was nice.
DeleteIt would have been so refreshing to have George and Charlotte "freely" intermingling with their cousins and just being kids. The children were apparently far enough from the horses to allow them to frolic about. I would love to see George and Charlotte have an opportunity to be that carefree and playing with their cousins. None of the adults looked stressed about it at all. That also was nice to see.
William claims he doesn't want his kids to grow up behind palace walls but then refuses to bring them to a nice family outing like a polo event and while keeping them in seclusion at a mega mansion in the middle of nowhere. It seems a shame because i think the kids would have loved to have been at the event
ReplyDeleteSarah I daresay I agree with you. It seems like missed opportunities to me. I bet the kids would love to have cousins and uncles and aunts - which kid doesn't ! My kids complain when we go too long without seeing friends and family.
DeleteI don't know what William understands by normalcy, but being surrounded by uncles and aunts and cousins is normal. Even if they are dysfunctional. Even if you don't agree with anybody. This is exactly what normalcy is - teaching kids that you can get along and have a good time with folks you don't always see eye to eye with. Hiding them away in mansions and only having structured playdates seems too safe to me. There is no substitute for the love and companionship of cousins and aunts and uncles. These kinds of occasions can teach kids valuable lessons.
I had a look at those pictures from the polo match today and I agree that those kids seemed to have tons of fun and are in a perfect age bracket for G+C. As they are all from the royal family, the security must have been there anyway. So I can't really understand why K+G+C weren't there too.
DeleteThe pix were great but Kate getting very conspicuous now with her absence.
DeleteAlso it was nice to see William so relaxed with his own family. I sometimes think the midds sold him a bill of goods.
Let's perhaps keep in mind that we don't know whether William has or has not "refused to bring" his children anywhere. Someone may have an infectious cold or any number of other reasons might explain why Catherine, George and Charlotte were not mucking about with their cousins at the event.
DeleteLet's remember that a while back there was some sniping talk about no appearances for Catherine and she'd been under the radar at the hospices. Then there was some embarrassed clucking about jumping to conclusions too quickly. Maybe we can't understand it, but perhaps we can rein in the desire to judgmental speculation as if we were privy to all the facts.
This is a predictable pattern we get into during the gaps between appearances when those gaps get longer. Just sayin'....
Maybe the kids were a little sick? Maybe they had a little friend's birthday party to attend? Maybe security has to be doubled when a 4 are in public given the heightened state if alert? We don't have any clue at all why K, G, & C did not attend today.
DeleteAs we are nearing 200 comments, I'd like to quote Patricia's helpful remarks on the Load More button from last post:
ReplyDelete"Is everyone aware of the Load More button below the comments? You need to keep clicking it until it disappears, in order to see all of the messages. It appears when there are 200 comments, and continues in 50 message increments until the current number is reached."
Thank you, Francis, that was very thoughtful of you! As I was once really tricked by the growing number of comments but no new ones appearing, I really appreciate it. A nice example of the little act of kindness that we are capable of. Quick and easy. It only takes one thing - thinking of the others :)
DeleteI'd love to see a monthly recap of what William has been doing. I hope to live long enough to see him crowned.
ReplyDelete