Good evening, dear readers! As you may have heard the Duchess of Cambridge did not join her husband at the annual Tusk Awards tonight "due to the children". Kensington Palace did not clarify the reason, expand on whether or not one or more of the children are under the weather or if it's related to another matter entirely. The rumour mill has gone into overdrive about an imminent pregnancy announcement for Kate. Whilst this is certainly possible, I do not believe it's the reason for her absence as earlier today she joined a private tea and reception for finalists.
KP shared several photos from the event.
Tonight's awards were held at the Empire Cinema in Leicester Square before a reception at Kate's patronage, the National Portrait Gallery.
Prince William became patron of conservation charity Tusk Trust in December 2005 and has been supporting their work through a series of public engagements and behind the scenes work since. Most recently, he visited Tusk projects in Namibia and Tanzania in 2018. Below, the Duke and Duchess meeting guests.
The Tusk Conservation Awards aim to highlight the outstanding achievements of individuals working within the field of conservation. From practical field work to successful environmental education, these awards recognise the achievements of individuals who are ensuring the future of Africa and bringing the challenges faced by the continent to a global audience. Kensington Palace said: "For almost 30 years, Tusk has pioneered successful conservation action in Africa by protecting wildlife, empowering communities and advancing the frontline in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade."
William presented three awards including the award for 'Conservation in Africa' to turtle biologist Tomas Diagne who has devoted most of his life to eliminating threats to turtles and tortoises across West Africa.
During a speech, William said "Earlier today, Catherine and I spent some time with the nominees and finalists. Their bravery, single-minded determination, and commitment to African conservation is deeply deeply humbling."
He continued "My generation and those following are acutely aware that we cannot simply carry on as we are. We have to move faster and more effectively to find ways to balance our demands on this planet with the nature we share it with."
He continued "My generation and those following are acutely aware that we cannot simply carry on as we are. We have to move faster and more effectively to find ways to balance our demands on this planet with the nature we share it with."
Kate selected her Beulah London Yahvi midi dress earlier today. The £550 piece was described as "This tailored crepe below-the-knee dress has a slim fitting sleeve adorned with covered buttons, with a fluted frill cuff detail. Fitted at the waist with a full midi length skirt, this dark green dress has covered button detailing to the side with a split opening that falls just above the knee." Kate debuted it in January for a Family Action engagement.
It looks like Kate teamed the dress with her olive green Gianvito Rossi 85 pumps.
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Additionally, the Court Circular recorded three private engagements yesterday, including an early years Royal Foundation meeting, a reception with representatives from the nursing profession and the Nursing Now campaign of which Kate is patron. A couple of guests shared a little more information on social media including news guests enjoyed drinks, canapes and Christmas activities before William and Kate arrived.
It was held at the Rosewood Hotel in London.
The Duke and Duchess also met with the King and Queen of Bhutan. Readers will recall William and Kate were warmly hosted by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema during their official visit to Bhutan in 2016.
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As we're catching up on news generally, fans of the Queen of Baking Mary Berry will be pleased to know Kate is said to be teaming up with her for a Christmas special. The Mirror revealed the Duchess is expecting to join Berry and a selection of VIPs to create a festive feast for charity workers on duty over Christmas. Kate has met Mary on a number of occasions over the years, most recently at RHS Wisley. HRH once revealed she is "a big fan of her cookbooks and cakes". We should hear more on this in the coming weeks.
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Rebecca English reports Kate's private secretary Catherine Quinn will be moving on from her role after Christmas.
'Royal right-hand woman Catherine Quinn has worked as Kate’s private secretary since October 2017, a role that is similar to a chief of staff. She is responsible for everything from organising Kate’s diary and meetings to accompanying her on engagements.
But she has also been instrumental in helping the future queen develop her ‘early years’ project, working with organisations to better support children in order to avoid issues such as addiction, social exclusion and crime in later life.
The high-flying Oxford-educated mother-of-one’s appointment was seen as sign of the duchess’s determination to ‘beef up’ her office and public profile as a working royal and future Princess of Wales.
Miss Quinn had been working a chief operating officer at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School, and previously worked as head of grant-giving at global charitable healthcare foundation the Wellcome Trust.'
It will be interesting to see who is chosen to succeed Ms Quinn, who brought a wealth of experience to the table. Kate's assistant private secretary Natalie Barrows, who is very visible by Kate's side at quite a lot of events, could take the role. We could also see someone entirely new in the coming months.
Hope you all have a great weekend! I expect we'll hear further engagement announcements any day now.
I don’t want to speculate, but I definitely think a pregnancy announcement is on the line any day now! She usually gets sick before the 12 week mark and I think she’s very close. She’s been wearing belts with every single outfit! Just a thought :)
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about so many things right now. First of all, I hope everything is OK with the Cambridges' children and I really don't want to get to speculating about anything. I also think the present situation of the Duke of York must be difficult for any member of the RF. And I'm very sorry to hear that MsQuinn won't be going on with her role of Kate's secretary. It would be interesting to know why.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post, Charlotte, and I'll be coming to your blog as the only reliable source of information, every day as usual.
I completely share your feelings Zora!! There is definitely a lot going on with the royal family right now and can only imagine it is difficult for all involved, perhaps especially the Queen. I am also very sorry that Ms. Quinn is leaving, I feel that she has been a very positive and professional influence on the Duchess and maybe somewhat of a mentor. She is an accomplished woman who, on the occasions when we saw her, was very polished and poised. Wish her the best in her future endeavors. I echo the sentiments of many here who are grateful for Charlotte who we can always rely upon to provide us with such honest information. Kate looked lovely, and somewhat subdued in her very appropriate repeat. cc
DeleteShe looks great. I love the dress and especially like it with the matching belt.
ReplyDeleteAre these new earrings for Kate?
ReplyDeleteThey appear to be hoops in the pictures but they're different from her oak leaf pair and are larger than her Kiki pairs.
I really love the way she styled this dress: took off the bell sleeves and added the belt. Looks wonderful. I think the green is a wonderful choice with the season.
ReplyDeleteIn other news, I am saddened to see Catherine Quinn leave. She has been a class act. Kate has grown so much in her role, I wonder just how much was due to the guidance of Miss Quinn. The one thing I am not quite understanding in the post, her leaving is a sign that Kate will be a full time working royal now? My question is: Kate needs more of a team if she becomes a full time working royal? I am unsure how this works.
It's difficult for me to believe that Kate would be pregnant and taking on full royal duties, so I am inclined to think she is missing the awards tonight for exactly what was said- the kids are under the weather. Best of luck to Miss Quinn.
Last, I love that K and W made time for the royals from Bhutan. It seems like the 4 have a lot in common and are genuinely fond of each other. Such a cute couple.
So much change happening for them! Am I the only one who kind of hopes she's not pregnant? It takes such a toll on her but seeing how lovely their family unit is right now...anyhow it could just be Nanny Maria is ill and they couldn't find childcare! Love that Kate still met with finalists. She's been busy!
ReplyDeleteAnon in CO you are not! I really don´t get people´s obsession about Kate´s fourth pregnancy. Maybe she is (they are) happy exactly like this?
DeleteAnyway, I just saw a report that the case was, one of the kids fell sick and Kate wanted to stay at home with them. It is a wonderful thing to do and while in 10 years it won´t matter whether she attended the reception or just the afternoon tea, it will matter to her kids that their mum was there for them.
Honestly I used to think Kate was not working hard enough, but lately I have realized she probably had a vision/a plan the whole time and it was to make sure that her family is doing well. I still wish Kate did more engagements, hopefully soon, but I admire how she has navigated so far! :)
Ella
Ella,agree. She and William for the most part have managed to structure their lives to allow about as much family privacy as you could expect in their situation. They also, I believe, have realized for quite a while now, how at any moment everything will shift and their work load will increase dramatically as well as the scrutiny of their lives. Being in line for the throne is just a whole different thing entirely than any other position in the BRF.
DeleteI think Kate played it very cleverly. She attended the reception where she interacted with the winners, something they would remember for the rest of their life. And she skipped the reception where she might have gotten more publicity (newspapers love an evening gown) but she did not really have a job. She was only going as William’s plus 1. So missing it would not be a huge disappointment, except for us who were looking forward to another evening gown.
DeleteA very good balance between work and family life.
I agree Rachel, it was clever.
DeleteI see rumors about both Duchesses expecting , so who knows? One of the children could have had a school project she wanted to attend , or could be preparing for a big day tomorrow. I love this color on her. Thanks for being a reliable source of positive news, Charlotte
ReplyDeleteYawn, this dress is just boring & similar to a lot of what she wears although she has hit it out of the ball park lately with her outfits.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the dress, although I fell out of love with her style for a long time to be honest.
DeleteProfessionally, I think it is a huge mistake to let Catherine Quinn go, at least she was trying to build Kate up, but I think she must have a very good reason to leave her post. I have guesses.
On the current crisis, I think this whole mess proved, it is very high time for Charles to take the reins. I know it won't happen until, but clearly the Queen is lesser of herself lately.
Very respectfully, Anett, how could Kate stop Catherine Quinn from going short of locking her up in the Tower? She was a high flyer who was already incredibly well paid. I personally believe she came in as a consultant, helped Kate in her professional presence and I think did a very good job. It doesn't mean that she needs to be there forever. Your phrase "trying to build Kate up" says to me that you think Kate is still lacking. Many of us don't think so but you have the right to your opinion :) I just wanted to point out that, as a management consultant myself, my usual expectation was to remain with an organization about 2 years and then hand things over to people who would "maintain." I am a change agent and get bored when things start humming along. And if I wasn't going to accomplish my task I usually knew well before the two year mark and departed earlier as we have seen with other Royal appointments. There was no criticism when those happened and there shouldn't have been. Quinn was unusual because she wasn't the usual come-up-through-the-ranks appointment like, for example, Rebecca Deacon. A company/organization will usually hire someone else from outside when they want to shake things up/change things. And once that change agent has accomplished his/her purpose, they move on with another notch on their c.v.
DeleteCatherine Quinn wants to work part time. That's it!
Deleteand I love her style, it's classic.
From my understanding they didn’t let Catherine Quinn go, she is leaving to focus on charity work which she has always been interested in (apparently)
DeleteGood points, Valerie.
DeleteAlthough I'm sure MsQuinn's work has been very valuable for Kate, what you say makes a lot of sense. Let's see who will succeed her.
Valerie, you have raised some very interesting points from your perspective as a consultant. I remember that when Ms Quinn was appointed I thought she was an unusual or out of the box appointment. But at that stage the Cambridges already knew that their role would be changing with the move to London, so appointing somebody to shake things up would make sense. And you now made me think that maybe this was always just a project for Ms Quinn and not a lifetime career. It would make sense.
DeleteEither way I think she did a pretty good job.
I find the constant pregnancy speculation to be quite tiresome and a little insulting, as if the women of the royal family’s only job is to reproduce. If and when there is another Cambridge baby, we won’t see Kate smiling and appearing healthy as she clearly does today, as HG worsens with each pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteHer and William make pretty babies. I don't think it's anything more (or less) than that. People love babies.
DeleteHasn’t the palace been very forthright about HRH’s past pregnancies when she had to miss events? I could be wrong but I suspect it was simply a matter related to her three littles.
ReplyDeleteDoubtful that she’s pregnant.... she hasn’t changed her hair and isn’t that usually the “tell?” :-P
ReplyDeleteAnnie
NY, USA
She actually HAS - the blond strands/highlights. 😛
DeletePerhaps you’re right! I was thinking it was a trick of the lighting. If she is, we’ll find out eventually! (But I do agree that the constant rumors are tiresome. I’m the same age and for years it’s been a constant question aimed at me, too. Not super fun.)
DeleteAnnie
NY, USA
she looks truly beautiful nice to have nice news like this after Prince Andrew's disgrace
ReplyDeletethanks Charlotte
My guess is that if she missed the event because she is pregnant they would do whay they did with all the other pregnancies and just announce it. They know how the rumour mill would go into overdrive.
ReplyDeleteWith 3 kids it is actually strange that this is the first time she had to cancelled an engagement because of the children. I know they have a nanny but nannies also get sick or sometimes if kids are really unwell they just want their mommy.
Rumors, rumors, rumors. The only people who know exactly why Kate cancelled the Tusk dinner, whether Ms Quinn is leaving for more reasons than she gave (she wants to work part-time with charities,) and whether one or both Duchesses are pregnant are the people concerned. In my fictional world, having been out of the house all day, Kate returned to discover that George had an important project or test tomorrow and needed one of his parent's help. Nanny Maria is a nanny, not a teacher. And, who knows, Nanny Maria herself might have got sick or had her own family emergency. In which case if I were Kate I would have wanted to support her and the children as Nanny Maria had to deal with things. Since Tusk is William's charity, and Kate has not always gone to the actual gala with him AND since she did go to the tea, she decided that helping George or Nanny Maria or whomever, was more important in this instance (it could equally have been Charlotte.) Good on her, in my former career, sometimes I made the same kind of decision when it came to my family. And it's a great role model for some of us working parents who are in a position where we COULD make a decision to put our family first. And for employers to also recognize family obligations too. Let's truly be family oriented.
ReplyDeleteAnd on the point of Ms. Quinn, as others have said, she helped Kate really up her game in terms of being informed, being present, professional. My guess is that Ms Quinn was never going to be a long termer and everyone knew that at the beginning. Kate needed some professional help, Ms Quinn was there to guide her and now Kate is ready to take more of the reins herself. And Ms Quinn wants to have more time for herself, etc. But that's my take and my fictional world. Maybe I am close to the truth based on my own experiences, maybe not.
And I am not going to comment on pregnancies at all because in my fictional world I think it is 50/50 whether W & K want a fourth child given the ever closer possibility that they will be taking on more work soon with the Andrew situation and what looks like a brewing issue with Philip's health too. Tonight's issue "with the children" might highlight that tug of war between Royal duty and family if, indeed, the issue was about the children and not about Kate's health.
Valerie, you covered it all very well, and accurately I think. Like you said, family comes first! Kate is such a good mom.
DeleteValerie, well said. I agree with your assessment that Ms. Quinn was never a long termer and was there for the express purpose of helping Kate with her professional presence as well as helping her to develop her charity projects. The paring of Kate with Ms. Quinn was very smart; Ms. Quinn is the epitome of a modern, classy successful working woman, with an enviable resume, from whom Kate could learn, and Kate proved to be a very apt student. In terms of royal PR success stories, I think this appointment has been the most successful so far. As much as I like the two of them working together and hate to see her leave, I understand that there is a time to move on. It reminds of this saying from the movie Nanny McPhee: When you need me, but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me, but no longer need me, then I have to go." I respect Ms. Quinn and think she did her job very well. cc
DeleteIt is unlikely that Kate pulled out of the evening event due to pregnancy since she attended daytime events. Also, her cancellation was announced in advance. More likely is that Nanny Maria was sick and unable to care for the children who may also have been sick.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the occasions where she is "all dressed up" from head to toe and he looks very informal as if he just popped his head out of the office door, thinking there was a party going on and joined in.
ReplyDeleteHer hair and make-up is a bit heavy, but green is definitely her colour.
I am glad they published the pictures of this event. I was too bad Kate couldn't attend the evening reception. For us, who enjoy her gowns.But her children come first, and it is William's charity anyway.
ReplyDeleteI feel there are more and more private engagements for Kate, now we see her 1 out of 4 or 1 out of 5...Is it because those private engagements weren't published before?
And it would have been nice to have a picture of them with the King and Queen of Butan..
Ditto on the picture with the King and Queen of Bhutan...it would have been very nice!! So many questions, were they here to visit the Cambridge's or was there another event they all attended?? I'd be curious to know too if the private engagements just weren't published before, would be interesting to understand how it all works. It was a very full day for the Duchess, just happy we got to see some pictures. cc
DeleteI wondered about that as well, Natacha and CeCe - perhaps a photo with the King and Queen of Bhutan will be published at some point in the future... I'm definitely glad they had a chance to meet again.
DeleteAwesome work being done to conserve nature and its inhabitants. Thanks, Charlotte. I always hope the best for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love this olive green dress. In a difficult week for the Royal Family the toned down colour of HRH’s tea dress seems suitably apt.,
ReplyDeleteI really like how she styled this dress with the matching belt, rather than with the croc belt as she did in January (i felt it competed with the buttons off to the side). I can imagine several non-pregnancy related reasons that her children might need their mom. Anytime I forgo a drink at dinner with friends, or say I'm feeling tired or nauseated, someone asks if I'm pregnant. It is tiresome, and I can't imagine it on such a large stage.
ReplyDeleteMy comment didn't appear and I thought I had steered clear of anything unpleasant, but perhaps not. :) I apologize if it wasn't OK. My main points are that I like the green dress with the modified sleeves very much. She looks very festive while allowing the other participants to shine in their attire. A very good cause, too, of course!
ReplyDeleteI like her project with Berry -- and I like that it is not a major charity but also something she probably will just enjoy doing. I think all of the RF should do things that are fun for them.
I also am glad that she can take care of her children and I'm glad the reason is relatively private (not many details).
I think it will be difficult to navigate among the cousins; I have great sympathy for Eugenie and Beatrice and I hope (am sure) that William and Harry and their wives will assist them.
Love this olive green dress and much prefer it with this belt.
ReplyDeleteKate looks lovely as always, happy she chose a rewear to not take attention away from the people being honored.
ReplyDelete"Couldn't find a babysitter" was never confirmed by the palace, someone on twitter posted that. Like always, take twitter with a grain of salt! The official reason was "the children." Even though Kate has access to home doctor visits, a doctor can only bring so much. If one of the children is sick with something that requires lab work or medical equipment to confirm or treat, the best time to take the child discreetly is during night time when they can slip in and out. I'm sending them good vibes and hope everyone at the Cambridge household is doing well.
Great cause and efforts by all. Thank you, Charlotte, for the detailed discription of events & photos! Love reading about their accomplishments and how large this conservation effort has grown. William's confidence & sincerity shows, as he speaks about the issues and gains of the Tusk Trust. Very commanding. Am happy for attendees Catherine attended the tea and meet with nominees. She is always gorgeous, professional, yet, approachable. I do like Kate's version, of the dress vs the models. Love the green. Beautifully tailored. I, personally, prefer to see Kate wear brighter colors, in this setting, as the heavy colors tend to appear solemn for a happy meet & greet. But, my opinon was not requested.:-)
ReplyDeleteI am very happy to see Kate looking beautiful,confident, and very welcoming! They really do make a good team!.
I'm not surprised at the departure of Catherine Quinn. The beginning of the year talk about a big initiative regarding early years never came to fruition with Kate. When you look at Kate's calendar and what she did... it doesn't require the time and expertise of someone like Catherine Quinn. Quinn is able to work on behalf of the citizens of the UK outside the parameters of the monarchy, and in the future, can bring monarchy in, if it suits the cause. Whereas Kate has young children she wants to mother, Quinn is able to do more for the country, not being restricted to Kate's availability and interest.
ReplyDeleteAs of today, Kate's invested 52 days into public appearances. Eight of those were simply because she was a member of the family such as Trooping the Colour, Charles' 50th Anniversary of Investiture, Archie's baptism and so on. That leaves 44 days and three of those were Wimbledon which brings it to 41 days and of those, she only went solo 19 days. The other 22 were spent as a consort to William, with seven days being on foreign soil (Northern Ireland and Pakistan), which takes it down to 13 days with William at home, one day with Harry at a church service and one day with the Queen.
She averages public appearances in one form or another once a week.
Meanwhile, it is good to see Charles asserting some influence regarding Andrew. A 93 year old monarch indulging her "favorite son" is not a good look for a country. And this is coming from a member of a country whose leader is undergoing impeachment review.
I think you are right Moxie, at this stage of her “royal career” Kate’s official role does not warrant somebody of Catherine Quinn’s experience.
DeleteKate seems to have settled comfortably in her one routine of public appearance per week and a couple of private meetings (I do think your numbers are a bit misleading because they only reflect public appearances which is only a small fraction of a royal’s work). She wants to be a fulltime mom and while George is growing up Louis is not 2 yet, so it makes sense that she doesn’t want to get involved in big and time consuming projects at this point. But that would leave Catherine Quinn underutilized. So while I was sorry to hear of Ms Quinn’s departure I was not really surprised.
I don't think Ms Quinn is going to work for the country or on a greater scale. She is leaving because she wishes to work part-time.
DeleteAs for Kate calendar, at the end of October, she was credited with 100 engagements.
She’s had 18 engagements this month so far but it seems the criticism now is not only that she is lazy but that she does not do enough public appearances. I think she could and should do more but saying C Quinn is leaving because she is too good for Kate is offensive.
DeleteSaying in some engagements Kate is only a consort of William. I hope you make the same comment about all members of the RF when they accompany their spouses and is not only restricted to Kate.
The early years initiative was talked about by the press, KP only mentioned it officially some months ago and said it would be revealed at the end of this year or beginning of next year.
Actually, Kate is only a consort to William. It is not insulting at all, that's how it is. She has no institutional role herself, her role is to support him. Supporting him, she supports the Queen and country. Solo or not, she always acts as his spouse.
DeleteI think she is fulfilling her job of being a support perfectly. She is a team player that works for a team. Not only for William and their children but for the RF. And William is flourishing.
I don't want to enter in the Andrew debate, and I think this is not the place, but surely it shows how their personal life is intertwined with their professional life, how they are royals all hours of the day. And how little hard work matters compared to other factors.
So I think Kate is wise, and if she makes her family her priority it is not only personal preference but vision of the future.
Even so, I would have liked Caroline Quinn to stay for longer.
I know she is a consort and I’m perfectly ok with that. I also think she is more than perfectly ok with that too and is aware of her role and behaves irreproachably. My problem with the original comment was that in the strange count of engagements provided the ones she attended with William looked like not real engagements for her because she was only there as his +1. That’s why I said that I expect the same applies to PP, Camilla, Sophie, Meghan...
DeleteI suspect that K&W and H&M will have to do more in the coming years, and I would think that Kate would have at least one visit per day in the future. Charles' streamlined monarchy concept just burst into reality. I think unfortunately that Eugenie and Beatrice will not be able to expand their royal roles now, so that focuses at lot on K&W.
ReplyDeleteI am in the US and have no thoughts about Andrew that are based purely on fact, but I'm amazed that he experienced such a downfall so quickly. I guess the MeToo movement inspired his patronages/companies to chose to divest themselves whereas they ignored the situation in the past.
And taking Andrew out of the working RF so quickly surely could only boost opinions of Charles and his family, it seems! (Except for the media add-ons that such-and-such happened to Andrew and, oh yes, no one is talking to the Sussexes or the Queen is also furious at Meghan, and on and on. Just pathetic.).
We're a bit stuck in the US when we find out something about candidates because we have to chose between the lesser of two evils.
I don’t think it was the me too movement but all the media going after him. Me too has been around for a while and accusations against Andrew too, the only difference now is that all papers and tv channels have been, of course, brutal to Andrew- and TQ- after the interview. Once he was forced by the public opinion reflected in the media to retire, patronages and companies have abandoned him. This is also a friendly reminder that the press is still powerful in the UK, as it should.
DeleteSadly, this downfall was anything but quickly. The public and press have been talking about his connection to Eppstein and rumours regarding his own behaviour for years.
DeleteAnd if he would have disappeared for a few months it probably would have blown over again. But the interview broke his neck. „I didn’t sweat at the time“, I mean what was even was this.
I agree that W&K will get more work faster than planned. But with a streamlined monarchy and from some quotes I think Wiliam has a made I expect less engagements and a different take on how they support causes. Heads together is an example of that. The boat load of their work wasn’t visiting charities but connecting them behind the scenes. The concept didn’t work out perfectly this time around but they and their team will assess and adapt.
C.
I guess Andrew had to retire because his patronages were leaving him. I understand the job role, but I hate the reports that William also said Andrew had to step down. First, without patronages, you're already "down," so it seems a moot point. But how could it feel to have your father disgraced and your uncle and cousin responsible? I know that Andrew is the only one responsible, but I still feel for the princesses, and I have really grown to like Eugenie, so that is where the sympathy comes from! It is an amazing thing to happen, and it makes one so appreciate how respectable Charles is and his sons. (At least when Charles was a bad husband, he was a faithful lover of his now wife.)
DeleteI don’t understand why they are expected to visit and help hundreds of charities. TQ has lots of patronages she never gets to visit or know about what they are doing. Other RFs don’t go around visiting and getting money for every organization in the country. I don’t know why W&K are expected to do that.
DeleteRFs have a representative role, people that work in a hospital and have a new wing are happy to see a royal opening it. Schools that have pioneer programs to help children are delighted that a royal visits them to say well done. Factories employing hundreds of people deserve a royal recognizing their job. A lot of people would be happy being received in KP offices and to speak to them about what they do. I could go on and on, I don’t think W&K’s job is to make money for charities nor to deliver speeches every time they go out. I’m sure their workload will increase and more than half of their engagements won’t have a deep meaning. And I’ve said this before but if KP posted a picture of all the events recorded in the Court Circular there will be news almost every day and people won’t be calling them lazy.
I agree anonymous, their job isn't raising money for charities. You explained very well their representative role.
DeleteI think the job/role of the RF changes to suit the public. I don't think they have the time to generate funds for ALL their patronages, of course, but the current state of the media allows even just a visit to financially help some causes. If the question comes up of what good is the RF, there are some who will be satisfied that they generated so much in funds for charities.
DeleteIt is also a good balance for their expensive clothes -- as much as I preach about wearing inexpensive clothes, I think that there would be less publicity of Kate and Meghan did that all the time. If you get 20 photos from Kate wearing a $2000 dress, the viewers will also learn about the event or organization or cause and in turn perhaps support it.
Regarding Kate's "low number" of appearances, I think Kate's number one goal in life was to have a happy family, not to be royal. My belief is that she did not have to marry William to be well off financially, and actually both she and William would do fine if they were not working royals. She may not have a "full-time" royal life now, but that's the tradeoff that is within her rights and William's just as human beings. I understand getting your money's worth, but I think Kate is by far the perfect and best choice for future queen. I'm sure Meghan has no desire for the job, and Kate is ideal. And it's not easy to find a queen! Remember that two of Harry's loves left him because of the job requirements. Maybe it's easier to think of her as a part-time royal/full-time mother. My belief is that if the monarchy continues, you will find people with regular jobs, perhaps physicians or lawyers, for whom royal activities are part-time.
ReplyDeleteIt is my belief that Catherine Quinn was brought in to get Kate to become more professional about her role, after all she is in training to one day be Queen Consort. This has happened and Kate became more polished in her appearances. For those thinking CQ was going to just be there for a few years only, a Private Secretary is a role taken on as a career move, they are there to advise and not, as some think, to type a letter. Nor are they there to carry Kate's stuff as Rebecca Deacon used to. It's a shame that she has left as I'm sure Kate is going to miss her professionalism. I also think it's interesting that CQ leaves and then Kate starts dropping out if an engagement? People would be disappointed she didn't attend, did Tusk miss out on donations due to Kate not turning up? It would have only been a few hours and if your name is on the invitation then it's bad manners not to attend.
ReplyDeleteAs for Daily Mail's assertion that Kate could not find child care? I doubt this is true as Kate has more than one nanny, and then there is Carole who is said to be Kate's "go to" for child care?
CW hasn't left yet. She is reportedly leaving after Christmas. I doubt her influence on Kate is so great as to make her start missing engagements at the mere idea of her future departure...
DeleteWilliam and Kate has only one nanny and why do people keep carrying that false narrative about them having more then one nanny like where do people get that from anyway?
DeleteDavion, I have also asked myself that question a 1000 times. No doubt K&W have additional people they can call on to babysit the kids if nanny Maria-Theresa is not available. But there have never been a second (or third) nanny. An occasional babysitter is miles removed from a nanny.
DeleteAnd in any case just because you have staff that could do something doesn’t mean they should, especially when it comes to your kids.
RachelZA, agree, no matter how many staff or nannies a family might have, there are lots of reasons one needs to sometimes withdraw from a commitment and take care of family business oneself.
DeleteLooks like a popular dress - Princess Mary wore a burgundy velvet version in Warsaw last night.
ReplyDeleteIs the reception on 3rd Dec a gowns event?
ReplyDeleteHello, I'm guessing we'll see formal cocktail looks. It's a very significant event, so I expect Kate will a McQueen, Packham or Walker dress.
DeleteI believe that behind the screens, since she entered the Royal fold, Kate has not stopped being busy learning the ropes of her future role. I feel she’s done an amazing job of slowly but surely navigating her role. So much to learn in the background. As future queen she can afford very few faux-pas. And now three children. Despite the support she gets, if course, I find it quite impressive. How humble and available she is, considerate and self-effaced yet so present. All these rich qualities look natural, but they are intensely rehearsed, I feel pretty sure.
DeleteGreat dress. I like the original design better but the modifications suit Kate very well. She looks lovely. I wondered if perhaps there was some issue at school that needed Mum to address that evening (but that might just be me remembering my rebellious self at that age).
ReplyDeleteI'm so curious why now all engagments of Duchess Kate are behind the scenes... She's doing a lot but we see nothing
ReplyDeleteI hope that each behind-the-scene engagement gets publicity after the fact, at least. I was wondering why there had been no engagements, and I hope she gets "credit" for her time.
DeleteAllison, I see your point but I'm rather afraid Kate won't get much of that credit. People who think there is a lot of work going on unpublished, without an uproar, will still think so, and people who believe Kate does not do enough will go on believing that. I'm sorry to be skeptical about this.
DeleteOn a brighter note, I look forward to seeing Kate in the pre-Christmas season - she always wears such nice clothes in Advent! 🙂
CC Wednesday: The Duchess of Cambridge, Joint Patron, the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, today completed two days with Kingston Hospital Maternity Unit in London.
ReplyDeleteIn keeping with the trend of doing more and more private engagements.
But what an interesting piece of news. I wonder if she is doing a training?