Royalty Thread #4 Nappies and Nuptials

[IceAlisa]

I read some of her speech and realize that she was referring to the media-created image of Kate but the visceral anger and emotionally charged language leads me to believe that a lot of it, purportedly created by the media, is infused by her own feelings on the matter. Why get your panties in a twist about this?

This is not, btw, the image I formed by reading articles about Kate. The image I formed is that of a poised, thoughtful and elegant young woman, nothing more and nothing less. We are not really entitled to know more.
And why does she demand that media reveal Kate's personality? She would like some modicum of privacy, one would think. I don't feel that anyone had squeezed Kate into any role that's radically different from another roayl or one that's horribly bad/demeaning.

Whatever she is trying to communicate is not effective and just too laden with anger to be taken seriously or as a rational viewpoint.

[PDilemma]

I read some of her speech and realize that she was referring to the media-created image of Kate but the visceral anger and emotionally charged language leads me to believe that a lot of it, purportedly created by the media, is infused by her own feelings on the matter. Why get your panties in a twist about this?

This is not, btw, the image I formed by reading articles about Kate. The image I formed is that of a poised, thoughtful and elegant young woman, nothing more and nothing less. We are not really entitled to know more.
And why does she demand that media reveal Kate's personality? She would like some modicum of privacy, one would think. I don't feel that anyone had squeezed Kate into any role that's radically different from another roayl or one that's horribly bad/demeaning.

Whatever she is trying to communicate is not effective and just too laden with anger to be taken seriously or as a rational viewpoint.

I agree with this take. I get the point Mantel was trying to make but it could have been made more effectively without using language that made it sound like she was targeting Kate. Her physical descriptions alone ("painfully thin," "plastic," limbs as "spindles") were demeaning when such language was not necessary to make her point and, in fact, took away from it.

[skatesindreams]

IceAlisa and PDilemma, I agree with each of you.

The "charged" language Mantel used makes it difficult to interpret her statement as anything but an "attack" on the Duchess; someone that she doesn't personally know.
Ill-advised/foolish at best; and "stupid" at worse.

[IceAlisa]

Yes, these are not products of the press, as she would like to dress it up, it's her own language and her own anger. I find it very ironic that she concluded her speech with asking to back away and stop being brutes when she'd just spent the whole speech being one.

Again, not sure where she found basis for constructing this horrid image of Kate. Not in the media I've been reading. Her own imagination, perhaps? And I don't think Kate would thank her for this "so-called" defense of her image. With friends like this...

Imagine someone, supposedly well-meaing saying to a group of friends: I wish my friend's husband would stop treating my friend like crap, stop telling her she is fat and ugly and frigid and has poor hygiene and bad breath. I also wish he'd stop constantly referring to her habbit of picking her nose and flossing her teeth in public. He needs to stop telling her that she is a loser, a bad mother who hasn't cooked a meal for the kids or cleaned up the house in years. Stop calling her a cow, a failure...etc., etc., etc., fill in your favorite detailed and varied insults here. That's how I stand up for my friend. And oh, lets stop being such brutes and back off!

[*Jen*]

What I don't understand is where Mantel - and the writer of that article for that matter - is getting her ideas of what the media and the public supposedly think of Kate.

I don't think that it's generally true that media and the public think Kate is a doll or mannequin, has "no personality of her own," or is "entirely defined by what she wears." And I don't know what this "set of threadbare attributions" is that we've supposedly "draped" her in as a mother to be.

The writer of the article then shares a bunch of sweeping generalizations of her own, saying that Mantel is criticizing "the role we have all squeezed her into." What exactly is that role, and does she really believe it's something we "all" have perpetrated?

The author also says that "we're all addicted to salacious royal gossip," and I really don't think that's true. In fact, I do believe that much of the interest that Kate attracts is in fact the opposite - it is the very lack of salaciousness that makes her attractive to many.

And I don't think this point is "apparent" at all:

I agree, especially about the gossip. The tabloids in Britain have gone out of their way not to publish pictures of her topless or her baby bump, although I do recall some stories of her partying after she and Will had broken up that time.

I disagree that the media or society has pushed her into any role. I think the Royal Family has, but she knew what she was getting into when she married into them, so I doubt she either needs or wants pity.

Yes, she's smart, tertiary educated and forward thinking and no, she doesn't say what she thinks about politics or the like...but....should she? I'm sure she talks about her view behind closed doors. Does she have to share her views with the world?

I think both Mantel and the media are equally deluded. The media report on the clothes because it's all they see, but Mantel misses the point that, compared to Diana for example, this is a good thing!

[skatesindreams]

I disagree that the media or society has pushed her into any role. I think the Royal Family has, but she knew what she was getting into when she married into them, so I doubt she either needs or wants pity.

Yes, she's smart, tertiary educated and forward thinking and no, she doesn't say what she thinks about politics or the like...but....should she? I'm sure she talks about her view behind closed doors. Does she have to share her views with the world?

I completely agree.
I'm sure that she had a good idea of what she was getting into before she entered "the Firm".
I remember reading that William even gave her an "out", if she wanted one, before they were engaged.

As any healthy person does, I'm confident that she has a "private" life/identity; in addition to her "public" one.

How would Ms. Mantel respond to being "challenged" in the same way as she questioned the Duchess?

[AragornElessar]

Okay...So I'm heading down the final chapters of Sarah Bradford's excellent and must have for your Royal Library book The Reluctant King : The Life and Reign of George VI and last night I'm reading about the period near or just after WWII when the files were discovered detailing The Duke of Windsor's intrigues and plans for a World ruled by Hitler (*shudder*) and The Royal Family and British Govt/Establishment successful attempts to if not destroy the evidence, then at least slap a multi decade "lock" on the public having access to the records. I still don't understand why "David" wasn't brought up on Treason charges, but he wasn't. Anyway...

The British Govt asked the US Govt for help w/this "Quest" and you will never guess who was one of the first US Officials to "have a hand" in this entire thing.

Someone by the name of Herbert Claibourne Pell.

Yes. *That* Herbert Claibourne Pell. The same one whose Grandson married a certain Kween a few weeks ago.

First thought? OMG!!! Second thought? Are you kidding me? I mean...My mouth literally flew open when I saw that. Connections pop up between interests in the oddest way sometimes.

[AragornElessar]

Guess what was released by the Royal Household in Sweden today through an interview w/Princess Madeleine about her Wedding...

Peoples!! We have a Guest List for the Wedding!!

Hello ~ 'The guest list is ready': Princess Madeleine reveals details of summer wedding to Chris O'Neill

Darn it!! W/the weather being what it is and the lights flickering more than once tonight, I wanted to get that out before reading it and...That wicked tease of a Princess!! Yes, the Guest List is ready and the invites will all be out by April 1, but that's it and that's all.

However...The Ceremony will be taking place at Drottningholm Palace and it's Chapel. Which was the site of HRH Princess Estelle's Christening last year, so if you're interested in seeing what the Chapel's like, there's full coverage of Estelle's Christening up over at YouTube. It is a beautiful Chapel w/lots of gorgeous light, but also warm in tone, Marble and huge windows that let in the light and does the beauty of the place full justice. One thing about it?

To enter the Chapel, you have to go inside that portion of the Palace first and then up a double spiral kind of staircase, to where there's a landing leading into the Chapel. I can't wait to see first Madeleine go up and stop at the top for a wave and then her and Chris stop at the top before coming down after the Ceremony. It just has that potential for some really special pictures on the Day.

I can't wait!!

[AragornElessar]

Camilla had a busy day today and since both Engagements highlight and/or honour two incredable Organizations, I thought it deserved it's own post. Especially for this...

ITV Video ~ ROYALS: CAMILLA MEETS BLETCHLEY PARK CODE BREAKERS

Hello ~ The Duchess of Cornwall meets female veterans at Bletchley Park

The Duchess met the women, who were code breakers during the conflict, as she paid a visit to Bletchley Park – the building from which British Allies intercepted Germany's infamous Enigma code.

Camilla gave the ladies her undivided attention as they told amazing stories of their role in helping end World War II. And their tales of espionage and Enigma all took place over some afternoon tea and biscuits.

These Women played such an incredible role in working at Bletchley Park, even if they weren't working w/the code breakers in some manner, they still had to know just what role the estate was playing in the grander scheme of things. All it would have taken was the wrong word to someone and...

These Ladies deserve our honour, our respect and our thanks!!

Camilla's other Engagement today brought the spotlight on an organization that deserves all the hoopla it can get IMO.

Worthing Herald ~ Duchess hails medical dogs charity

Camilla visited Medical Detection Dogs (MDD) where she met a number of animals and their owners to find out more about how the dogs have helped shape their lives.

She also watched demonstrations by two of the charity's Labradors - one by Daisy who successfully sniffed out cancer samples, and another from trainee Pippin who could detect when blood sugar levels were dropping.

I knew about dogs being able to detect Cancer and of course about the ones trained to know when a Seizure is on it's way in time for their Human to be able to prepare in time for it happening. Such as sitting on the floor or going somewhere at school or work that's been put aside for just that happening. First time though I've heard of them being trained to detect Blood Sugar drops.

It really is amazing what dogs are being trained to do and also detect in order to help us out and live as normal a life as possible, isn't it?

[Vagabond]

Again, not sure where she found basis for constructing this horrid image of Kate. Not in the media I've been reading.

I have this image of Hilary Mantel leafing through The Sun when she gets her hair done....

[IceAlisa]

Elaborate please, dear Vagabond.

[Vagabond]

The Sun is the least intellectual of the British daily newspapers, but I could just as easily have chosen the Daily Mail or Daily Express. Not what you'd expect a two-time winner of the Booker Prize to be reading.

Here's an overview of the British dailies that apparently appeared in a diary piece in The Guardian in the early 1980's:

Times readers run the country,
Telegraph readers think they run the country,
Guardian readers wish they ran the country,
Mirror readers would run the country if the Times readers didn't run it already,
Mail readers don't know who runs the country,
Express readers don't care who runs the country,
and Sun readers don't give a damn who runs the country as long as her measurements exceed 38-24-36.

http://www.magforum.com/papers/nationals.htm

It's still pretty much the way things are, except that there's one more "quality" daily, The Independent. Its readers don't run the country but probably should.

[IceAlisa]

Oh you KNOW she is reading it and hating herself for it.

[Jenny]

On another more fluffy topic, I wish this photographer had done Kate's official portrait rather than that painter - I think this is lovely!

[LilJen]

The Onion weighs in on the baby bump. Important stuff

(earlier articles related to the forthcoming heir: Cut This Monster Out of Me and Royal Family Releases Kate Middleton Ultrasound Image.)

[Alixana]

The Onion weighs in on the baby bump. Important stuff

(earlier articles related to the forthcoming heir: Cut This Monster Out of Me and Royal Family Releases Kate Middleton Ultrasound Image.)

[AragornElessar]

Well....This is interesting....

The Mirror ~ Caring Kate: Duchess of Cambridge works behind the scenes with hospice charity

The Express ~ Kate is not lazy: She's an asset to the Royal Family and Britain

Why is this so interesting? Because in the past, meeting such as these, were never put on the Court Circular or officially announced in this manner because they weren't public engagements. Even though the meetings were being held in order to bring those who run an organization a Royal is Patron of, such as Kate and East Anglia Children's Hospice, and other organizations together to see how each could help the other.

So...Why now? Also, why will these now be added to the Royal Court Circular?

Now, this is JMO here, but this move and it's timing is just a bit too close to the aftermath of Hilary Mantel's comments that came out on the weekend. Personally, I think these meetings should have been part of the Court Circular long before now. They are w/other Royal Families, so why has it taken so long w/the British Royal Family? Then again, that question can be asked about more than a few things concerning the BRF over the years....

Anyway...Regardless...Interesting timing w/this decision.

And just in case I don't get in here tomorrow for whatever reason...

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY PRINCESS ESTELLE!!!

And many more!!!

[PDilemma]

See I'm confused, because the column you linked seems to be saying that meetings such as these have on occasion been included for senior members of the family. So are they or aren't they?

[AragornElessar]

Which one? Because AFAIK, these meetings while taking place, have never been mentioned on the Court Circular because they aren't Public Engagements. Big difference between them taking place behind closed doors, even though they were known to be taking place, and to them now being publicly acknowledged and counted among the Public Duties of the Royal Family.

As I said, this change taking place this close to those comments of Martel's last weekend....Just a bit interesting timing wise IMO.

And remember I said I got in a bit of trouble over at TRF for saying I thought the PR dept at the Palace had dropped the ball a wee bit over how they could have used Kate's visit to highlight her interest in how Art can help people heal or cope w/their problems since Hope House has a very successful Art Therapy Program? Well...I wonder what the reaction would be if I said how I felt when I saw the picture of Camilla the web site team put on the right hand side of this link...

Official Web Site of The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall ~ The Duchess visits Action on Addiction's Hope House

Yeah...Putting up a picture of Camilla drinking a glass of wine from an Engagement earlier in the week where she and Charles were supporting the UK Wine Industry on the right hand side/beside an article on Kate visiting a Centre which is helping Women to cope w/their respective addictions, which would include Alcohol, was *such* a good idea by whomever was in charge of the site at the time.

[PDilemma]

From the Richard Palmer column in the Express:

It's not unusual for members of the Royal Family to include such meetings in the Court Circular, which is published each day on the official Royal Family website and in three newspapers that market themselves as papers of record.

But, as far as I can recall, it's only the second or third time that a meeting involving Kate has been recorded in this way. The first was when she went to check out one of her new charities but was not ready to have it covered by the media.

So it is not that such meetings are never included, it is that Kate's have not been included.