Royalty Thread #7: Do They Get Frequent Flier Miles?

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RoseRed

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The black or navy & the olive at the christening were to me strange selections for daywear in mid-summer. I liked both outfits but they looked jarring against everyone else's pastels.
In those pictures where they are all seated, there's a woman behind them also wearing navy. I thought it was fine.
 

mag

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Navy is traditionally a summer colour. I remember years ago when I worked in retail, navy shoes were always in the spring / summer collections.
 

aftershocks

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In those pictures where they are all seated, there's a woman behind them also wearing navy.

It's the Duchess of Gloucester...

http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/20...-how-husbands-family-starved-people-to-death/

^^ Yes, our current day culture is so ironic, innit? Semantically speaking, it would be Harry's ancestors, not his immediate family who willfully starved the Irish. I don't know much about the history of the Irish potato famine, aside from it having resulted in the migration of so many Irish people to America.

There's always more to cultural history and to the rise of civilizations and political institutions than meets the eye. The British empire rose partly due to it's strategic geography and naval military power. I doubt Meghan is going to be worrying herself in-depth over the deep historical underside of things. She seems like a glass half-full type of go-getter, embracing life by the horns, and putting a positive face on the dark, complicated side of things. I've detected that character trait from her Instagram, Tig, and her in-depth interviews. She and Harry are obviously going to concentrate on what they can do to make a difference to young people around the Commonwealth, and to focus on humanitarian projects in certain areas of this world which we currently live in. M&H and the royals probably don't overly examine the detailed conundrums, horrors, and ironies of history (especially in terms of the British monarchy's historical colonial role). Although of course I don't know what they talk about in private.

Meghan's certainly got enough on her plate right now, but she's fitting in with the royal institution rather well at the moment. Most of all, she's made Prince Harry a changed man and a very happy man. The love gaze they give each other speaks volumes, and surely causes envious/ admiring hearts to flutter. :p Harry has left his wild & crazy unsettled boyish days far behind. This will continue to be a fascinating ride with Meghan and the royals. The article was accurate that she's generated a lot of interest and excitement in certain quarters around the world that makes her something of a p.r. asset for the royals. I'm a fan, but also a critical observer. The juxtaposition of 'race,' culture, myth, tabloid exploitation, glamour, wealth, status, and persistent 'fairytale' stars-in-the-eyes, on-the-surface takes is endlessly intriguing. Worlds do collide, but at bottom, M&H have quite a few things in common.

It's probably beneficial that Meghan hadn't read too much about the royals and British royal history, prior to meeting and marrying Harry. As Meghan said in the engagement interview: "... Everything I've learned about [Harry] and his family, I learned through him ... to be able to meet the Queen through [Harry's] lens, not just through his respect for her as the monarch but through the love he has for her as his grandmother. All of those layers have been very important for me..." Meghan is not only bright, beautiful and articulate, she knows how to say the right things, drink the tea, and charm the corgis. ;) Per Prince Harry: "Our relationship comes first ... It's also a huge relief for me to know that Meghan can handle the job aspect. She's capable of anything. We're a fantastic team. We know we are, and we hope to have as much impact for the things we care about, as possible."

In part of the below clip, we see Harry and Meghan meeting with the Irish prime minister and later in the evening attending a garden party where Harry makes a speech touching on the past conflicts between the Irish & English people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXcFvsDr658
(At the garden party, Meghan's wearing an Emilia Wickstead black sleeveless dress with cut-out square neckline; I wish it was the same length as her earlier dark green skirt and navy dress; she's been fairly conservative with her hemline lengths. She looks fine in the black dress, but I think her dresses and skirts are more flattering on her at a specific length that's not quite so low):
http://madaboutmeghan.blogspot.com/

And now for a bit of sly humor: :rofl:
http://guestofaguest.com/london/roy...the-funniest-thing-youll-see-all-week?slide=9
 
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Daena

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Funny thing, I've just read.
Meghan and Harry attended some garden party in Dublin, and Meghan wore a dress from this lady who badmouthed her wedding look. Emily Wi-something. She said this Givenchy dress was poor copy of her own dress (and how every fashion expert on Earth said "hey, isn't it Emily Whatshername's dress?") and how this dress was ill-fitted etc. Also she complained about Meghan's hair, like how this messy bun was inappropriate and how she was like screaming "brush your hair, it's royal wedding damnit!"
So, anyway, after this story people thought Meghan would never wear this lady's outfits again (apparently she wore something after engagement), but no, today she wore her cocktail dress.
 

aftershocks

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A second day of events for the Duke & Duchess of Sussex in Ireland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dizc7ihtRCw
http://madaboutmeghan.blogspot.com/
http://meghansmirror.com/royal-style/royal-tours/meghan-harry-sussex-ireland-visit/

Today Meghan wore a bespoke taupe dress by Roland Mouret (similar to the pretty navy dress by Mouret that Meghan wore the day before her wedding: https://www.whowhatwear.com/meghan-markle-navy-roland-mouret-dress--5aff18cf21b9e/slide4 -- the main difference is long sleeves and a boatneck bodice on the taupe dress). I like the hemline length on the taupe dress with the side flare. Later in the day, Meghan and Harry changed into casual attire, with Meghan wearing black pants and jacket with a white t-shirt. She's looking very good on this tour. Even the Emilia Wickstead garden party dress was fine with the longer hemline length. It's just that I prefer the medium length on Meghan and I wish she wouldn't turn so often to overly conservative lengths. But standalone for that event, the Emilia Wickstead dress is lovely.

The photo-op earlier today with the President and his wife and their two Burnese mountain dogs is wonderful. The ease with which the four of them chatted while the dogs moved amongst them seeking attention and rubs is so adorable. I especially like the current 5th photo on the Mad About Meghan blog where Meghan is laughing up at Harry while patting one of the dogs who is looking upward happily at Meghan with tongue lolling out the side of its mouth. :D

ETA:
Meghan/Harry's visit to Croke Park today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upwmAY6gI6c
Harry tries to speak Gaelic during his speech yesterday evening:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrz9R4aQdwE
 
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Jenny

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Oh dear I do not like that grey dress (looks grey to me, not taupe) for the meeting with the dogs. All I can see is her bandeau bra in all the pictures, from the back even. Ruins the silhouette IMO.

Really like the pant suit though, casually elegant :)
 

ballettmaus

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I love the bottom of the dress but the top looks like it's too tight around the bust and too long for her torso.
 
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aftershocks

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^^ I think the taupe dress is better fitted around the bodice than the dark navy dress Meghan wore for RAF ceremonies yesterday in London. And I like the taupe color. I actually couldn't figure out what the color was so I looked it up. At first I thought it was a stone gray or light stone green shade. There will always be differences of opinion when it comes to fashion. Except for the bodice area and the puckered seams on the dark navy dress, it was otherwise stunning with the flared skirt. I would have liked it in a slightly less dark color though.

The taupe dress shows a bit of wrinkling perhaps, but the folds near the waist may have been part of the styling. The bodice to me looks fine with the dart seams angling up from underarm area. It's a much more well-fitted bodice than on the dark navy dress, which looked like it was pinching and constricting Meghan's breasts. :p Oh well, fashion watching is fun. ETA: Taking another look at the taupe dress, it's possible that Meghan's bespoke clothing fittings and finishings need some managing. But I don't think she's annoyed or panicked in the slightest about minor fitting hiccoughs. Hopefully such matters will be worked out eventually.

Also she complained about Meghan's hair, like how this messy bun was inappropriate and how she was like screaming "brush your hair, it's royal wedding damnit!"

:lol: It looks like Meghan is deciding to opt for neater pulled back hairstyles, without the messy aesthetic. The loose strands around the side of her face were fine at some of her outings in the lead-up to her wedding. And she can carry off pretty much anything (except the Spencer country wedding look), but I have to agree that for her wedding, a less messier hair style might have been better. However, it's all good, as their happiness and love for each other ruled the day, even overcoming Bishop Curry's lengthy grandstanding -- surely genuine and heartfelt on his part, but overdone.

For her wedding, Meghan likely desired to achieve a casual but elegant go-to updo that didn't stray from her usual messy strands aesthetic. The hairstyle I don't think was too much of a problem on the day, but in looking back years from now, it may seem as if her hair happened to fall loose over the course of the day. Also in hindsight, there were some problems with the fit and seaming around the dress' left shoulder, and there was something almost too plain about it, albeit the clean lines and boatneck bodice suited Meghan. IMO, the gorgeous veil and the stunning tiara are what really made the dress work. Apparently, it wasn't easy for Meghan trying to meld her style preferences with royal wedding dress protocol.

It was the after-party wedding dress by Stella McCartney that was more Meghan's vibe. It would have been interesting to see what McCartney might have done for the full-on wedding dress. The baby blue soles on the white after-party shoes was a nice touch. But it was Diana's stunning, sparkling aquamarine ring on Meghan's finger that pushed the envy quotient. ;) Meghan looked so fantastic and sexy. As has been said, M&H were like a vision out of a James Bond movie, exiting Windsor Castle and jumping into the small blue electric-powered sportscar for the winding 1 mile trip over to historic, exquisite Frogmore House for the fun after-party. How cool is it to look like a vision out of a Bond movie on your wedding day as the Duchess of Sussex! A whole lot better role for Meghan than having been on the short list to audition for the next Bond girl movie role. :lol:

None of this royal Duchess dressing and transition to a more higher profile life can be that easy for anyone. Meghan is doing pretty well as she feels her way and experiments with different designers. I like that she's decided to nix the messy strands, at least for public occasions. Ha ha, maybe she's heeding some of Wickstead's unsolicited advice. And in any case, Wickstead offered an immediate apology for her reported comments.
 
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MsZem

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I still don't find the Duchess of Sussex or her wardrobe particularly interesting. This picture with the dogs, however, is excellent.

Queen Maxima remains my pick for royal I would most want to hang out with (Crown Princess Mary is probably the best royal to go shopping with).
 

mag

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The taupe dress shows a bit of wrinkling perhaps, but the folds near the waist may have been part of the styling. The bodice to me looks fine with the dart seams angling up from underarm area. It's a much more well-fitted bodice than on the dark navy dress, which looked like it was pinching and constricting Meghan's breasts. :p Oh well, fashion watching is fun.

The taupe dress is a stretch fabric and is clearly too long in the bodice and too snug over the bust. I am surprised because Moret is usually extraordinarily good a fitting. Meghan didn’t suddenly shrink in length so that is a fitting issue. As for the navy Dior, that is a woven fabric and, while I would have fitted it a bit looser and not minded the extra fabric, it was fitted and constructed properly. If you look back at how that style of dress was made in the 40’s and 50’s before we got accustomed to the look of stretch fabric, you will see what I mean.

The navy Moret dress worn the night before the wedding also looked a big long in the bodice, but it is hard to tell from the photos. The darkness of the colour would also make it slightly more forgiving. Being photographed in dresses like the taupe one from many angles and in less that perfect light can be challenging. I am not sure what kind of undergarments she could have worn that would have worked better. I wonder if we will see this look again, or if Meghan will look at the photos and decide it isn’t worth it to try again.
 

ballettmaus

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The taupe dress shows a bit of wrinkling perhaps, but the folds near the waist may have been part of the styling. The bodice to me looks fine with the dart seams angling up from underarm area. It's a much more well-fitted bodice than on the dark navy dress, which looked like it was pinching and constricting Meghan's breasts. :p

Well, you can clearly tell that she's wearing a strapless bra from one of the photos and the fabric is bunching around her waist in a couple of others.
I didn't look at the navy dress that well though. It just seemed immediately obvious here and I find it a pity because I really like the skirt and I think if it were one sleek silhouette it would look awesome.
 

AxelAnnie

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The taupe dress is a stretch fabric and is clearly too long in the bodice and too snug over the bust. I am surprised because Moret is usually extraordinarily good a fitting. Meghan didn’t suddenly shrink in length so that is a fitting issue. As for the navy Dior, that is a woven fabric and, while I would have fitted it a bit looser and not minded the extra fabric, it was fitted and constructed properly. If you look back at how that style of dress was made in the 40’s and 50’s before we got accustomed to the look of stretch fabric, you will see what I mean.

The navy Moret dress worn the night before the wedding also looked a big long in the bodice, but it is hard to tell from the photos. The darkness of the colour would also make it slightly more forgiving. Being photographed in dresses like the taupe one from many angles and in less that perfect light can be challenging. I am not sure what kind of undergarments she could have worn that would have worked better. I wonder if we will see this look again, or if Meghan will look at the photos and decide it isn’t worth it to try again.

I am just flummoxed by the choices. Either she is terribly headstrong, or has no one around her advising her on her clothing. Or maybe she just has poor taste.

Meghan comes from a Hollywood environment. Hollywood is no longer known (as in say Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly) for subtlety, grace and taste (i.e. matching the dress to the occasion). So, I get that.....but jeesh, she is not in Kansas (so to speak) any more. The people making her dresses are not doing her or themselves any favors.
 

aftershocks

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I am just flummoxed by the choices.

:lol: I'd suggest you try and get over it. The Duchess of Sussex is doing just fine, regardless of minor fitting and finishing oopsies on some of her bespoke attire. Be glad if you will that she's neatened up those annoyin' messy hair strands, and is seemingly cuttin' down a bit on the distracting habit of finger-fiddling with her hair when she wears it down. ;)

If Meghan ain't stressed, why the 'divil' should any of us be frettin' and groanin' overmuch? :duh: To quote a certain Irish saying: Methinks lovely Megs & jolly red Hal/ Haz are having a blast and 'sucking diesel' right well these days. :rollin:

:nopryde:
 
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Lorac

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That grey/taupe or whatever colour it is is lovely from the waist down but from the waist up :slinkaway:yikes:. What was she thinking - it just looks cheap - and we know it wasn't that- and thrown together. Why Meghan, Why?

The trouser suit today and the black dress she wore to the garden party yesterday were fine. However I wasn't bowled over by her green 2 piece outfit that she arrived in. I would have preferred a longer top not tucked in with one of her thin belts to complement it. And why did she need such a huge handbag that just seemed to get in her way?
 

aftershocks

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Eh, there are some things we fashionistas can agree on, and others not at 'all. I thought the forest green body-huggin' arrival separates were quite nice, especially the pocket detail on the skirt. The purse was a tad large, but it was her choice. Maybe Meghan will think differently next time when she's on such a trip without her trusty attendant nearby for bag holding duty. ;)
 

kittyjake5

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Well here is my opinion on the taupe dress. I loved it. To my eye it fit her better than some of her other dresses which overpowers her with to much material. I like the more fitted look and I also liked the green fitted dress and her pant suit looked great on her too.
 

aftershocks

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As for the navy Dior, that is a woven fabric and, while I would have fitted it a bit looser and not minded the extra fabric, it was fitted and constructed properly. If you look back at how that style of dress was made in the 40’s and 50’s before we got accustomed to the look of stretch fabric, you will see what I mean.

Sure, and thanks for pointing that out about the fabric history. I do like the dark navy dress overall, aside from the tight bodice fit and puckered seams -- which seemingly should have been smoothed out a bit for a bespoke dress. But shizz happens I suppose. And I would have liked it better in a slightly less dark navy.

Meghan always carries everything off well when we see her moving around gracefully in the videos. Hopefully, the fitting glitches will be smoothed out anon. :)

BTW, it's Roland Mouret.
 

PDilemma

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That grey/taupe or whatever colour it is is lovely from the waist down but from the waist up :slinkaway:yikes:. What was she thinking - it just looks cheap - and we know it wasn't that- and thrown together. Why Meghan, Why?

The trouser suit today and the black dress she wore to the garden party yesterday were fine. However I wasn't bowled over by her green 2 piece outfit that she arrived in. I would have preferred a longer top not tucked in with one of her thin belts to complement it. And why did she need such a huge handbag that just seemed to get in her way?

I saw the suggestion elsewhere that having support built into dresses like that would solve the bra issue. But the fit is off as well. I actually think it is a lovely dress; but someone with the means to have those issues taken care of and who is in the public eye as she is, shouldn't let that stuff go.

The huge handbags need to go. Hopefully, it will become clear to her that they are troublesome to maneuver when meeting dignitaries or doing walkabouts and that she doesn't actually need to carry anything at these engagements. I thought the one from today looked quite empty--seemed to be sunken in on the side. So it's all very odd. Frankly, I really loved the tan bag she had on arrival in Ireland, but it looked awkward as she did all the necessary greeting of dignitaries.
 

aftershocks

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Wow, the fabric and sheen of the dark navy dress Meghan wore yesterday to RAF services looks spectacular in this photo posted on KP Twitter! https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1016704089009385473

I guess there's nothing like seeing it up close and personal, or in the best-lighting environs. In this picture, there doesn't even appear to be a problem with the bodice area. Granted that it's a side view. Perhaps the outdoor lighting in other pictures picked up imperfections that were not really that apparent in more muted lighting settings.

Here's a site that offers live updates of the Ireland trip:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/meghan-markle-harry-ireland-live-12892335

Reportedly Meghan told some of the Irish fans she met that she "misses her former show, Suits." That's normal to miss something she worked and played at successfully for so many years. But she probably doesn't miss it enough to regret trading it in for the challenging life she's now living.

Fan video of Meghan and Harry up close greeting crowds of well-wishers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0p1n6pBDZQ Check out that part at 2:00 where a woman yells, "I'm from Chicago!" Meghan shakes her hand, and the woman says: "You made my life." Meghan asks her name, and she answers, "Jeanette." And Meghan responds, "That's my grandmother's name." Right, Jeanette Arnold Johnson (Doria's mother). I'm not so sure what the woman meant about Meghan 'making' her life though. Be inspired of course, but make your own life.
 
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aftershocks

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... Queen Maxima remains my pick for royal I would most want to hang out with (Crown Princess Mary is probably the best royal to go shopping with).

:D Ah Queen Maxima looks cool getting down to the beat in the audience with her husband, King Willem-Alexander. I'm not sure we'd ever see Prince William and Duchess Kate throwing royal reserve to the wind like that in public, although we know William likes to chill on the dance floor in private, even if a bit awkwardly. :lol: M&H's easy vibe seems to help loosen up the Cambridges somewhat. But the young future King & Queen of England seem a bit more stiff and conscious of their station in life publicly. I suspect they let their hair down a lot more in private. W&K were a lot of fun awhile back when they made a surprise appearance on Radio One.

I look forward to seeing Megs and Haz rocking it out at a concert some day, and dancing at some function. Too bad we don't have video of them dancing at their wedding eve after-party. :smokin: For me, I'd lurve to go shopping with Duchess Meghan (she's said to be quite hilarious and fun-loving with intimate friends). And rather than just boppin' to Sting and Shaggy, I think it'd be a groove to hang out with them both in Jamaica. As Marley crooned, "Let's get together and feel alright..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0xKz5TsYb0 Sting & Shaggy Don't Make Me Wait


I came across these videos of the Earl & Countess of Wessex, and Peter & Autumn Phillips (from 2016). It's cool hearing these couples speak, especially Peter, as I don't recall ever hearing his voice before. The interviews took place apparently around the occasion of the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5gLuyKqu5k Edward & Sophie discuss what it's like when as a child/ grandchild of the Queen, you begin to realize your grandmother is more than just your grandmother.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHX8qxQfo_I Peter & Autumn discuss how they met, & there's a slight hint of Autumn having picked up a British accent. Although she admits her stress still isn't correct on the 'a' for words like toh-mah-toe. Autumn did not know who Peter was when they first met in Canada. Peter hasn't lost his hair, so perhaps he picked up strong hair genes from his father, and it may also help that on his mother's side, Princess Anne's grandfather, King George VI, kept a fairly decent full head of hair. Unfortunately for William and Harry, their Dad has bald spots, and on their mother's Spencer side there was thinning hair genes, as her grandfather Spencer lost most of his hair. Prince Charles and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex likely got their thinning hair genes mainly from the Duke of Edinburgh's side of the family.

As happened to Autumn, I would imagine in a few years or so that Duchess Meghan's voice will begin to pick up inflections of a upperclass British accent.
 
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Skittl1321

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So are we. Higher percentage of the population in Ireland is foreign-born than in the US. :)

I can't decide if that is surprising or not. I guess when I think of Ireland, I think of ethnically Irish, so maybe it is suprising.

But when the US says "nation of immigrants"- they don't mean in this generation. They mean that nearly everyone here can easily trace their lineage to elsewhere. (So not like "the human race started in Africa" lineage.) People in the US identify as where their ancestors came from, often to a bizarre extent (the number of Americans who claim to be Irish, for instance.)
 
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