Royalty Thread #8.....A Pregnant Pause

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aftershocks

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I'm truly not surprised to read a report from royal journalist Roya Nikkah stating that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no plans to give their offspring any royal titles at all. Apparently, they wish to emulate Princess Anne's example of not extending any royal titles to her children, by virtue of her husband declining to receive a courtesy title from the Queen. But that was definitely Anne's wish, for whatever reason. And I don't think there's any mystery about both Harry & William having grown up close to their cousins Peter & Zara Phillips and likely having envied their lack of being burdened with titles. However, I am surprised M&H apparently won't extend Lord/Lady title either, at least that's my impression from this report. It doesn't seem to me that Lord/Lady are exactly 'royal' titles though. They indicate nobility more-so than royalty.

But there we have it, no more speculation needed. M&H want their private lives private, and their children to grow up as normal as possible:

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not seek any official royal role for their first child. They hope he or she will grow up to have what Harry has described as 'a relatively normal life,' according to a source who knows the couple.
'That word normal looms very large for Harry and Meghan when it comes to their child’s future,' the source added. The couple, who are taking Australia by storm on their first overseas tour, will become parents next year. Their baby will be seventh in line to the throne but there are no plans to give it a royal title.
Harry and Meghan are understood to have considered emulating the approach of the Princess Royal and 'follow the Zara and Peter Phillips route,' the source said. Princess Anne turned down royal titles for her children, who built independent careers with significantly reduced exposure to public scrutiny. Harry's desire to shield his children also coincides with his father’s wish for a 'slimmed-down' monarchy that focuses on the direct line of succession to the throne.
Meghan, 37, who is thought to be about four months pregnant, will continue to carry out a full programme of official engagements until the birth, and will announce her first patronages in the new year. But the couple will postpone a visit to America scheduled for the first half of next year."
This report makes it look like poor Prince William and Prince George and Princess Charlotte having to bear the burden of royal titles. :lol: In fact, who knows what changes will happen to the British monarchy once QEII passes. I think William and Harry revere their grandmother, the Queen, and respect their family's royal traditions. But I don't think any of the royals would be upset at moving on into the sunset to enjoy their private lives without all the excess public scrutiny. They would not be giving up their wealth, just the burden of public duties and criticism about the public paying for the pomp and circumstance, which it seems that William and Harry probably wouldn't be too unhappy to forego in the future. I think Prince Charles has grown up with the old-fashioned royal trappings though and identifies more strongly with those traditions. However, Prince Charles' expressed wish to pare down the monarchy is likely in keeping with his caution about the public's view of the monarchy, particularly how it might be viewed once the Queen is no longer the esteemed and legendary figurehead.

It's already well known that the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge do not want George to be referred to as 'Prince George' at school. He is simply George Cambridge. George clearly has a fun relationship with his older cousin, Savannah Phillips, of the 'untitled' Phillips clan. :)
 
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Lorac

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It's already well known that the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge do not want George to be referred to as 'Prince George' at school. He is simply George Cambridge. George clearly has a fun relationship with his older cousin, Savannah Phillips, of the 'untitled' Phillips clan. :)

Both Prince William and Prince Harry were referred to as William Wales and Harry Wales respectively when they went to school so William is just carrying on his parents tradition there.

As to the rest of your post it is really just speculation at the moment so I will wait to comment on those issues when we know for certain.
 

aftershocks

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Both Prince William and Prince Harry were referred to as William Wales and Harry Wales respectively when they went to school so William is just carrying on his parents tradition there.

As to the rest of your post it is really just speculation at the moment so I will wait to comment on those issues when we know for certain.

Hey, that's fine about you waiting, but not waiting to make a comment. :p There's always speculation surrounding the royals, unsurprisingly. And we never do know for sure about any gossip or published reports until official confirmation.

Roya Nikkah is not always right, but she does have good connections generally in her reporting, sometimes with an insider track. This report could just be preparation for no one being surprised when M&H possibly decline giving their children any titles whatsoever. Obviously, their offspring still might be titled Earl/Lady as expected, but that's not definite if this report is true. And I think this unconfirmed report definitely solidifies the view that M&H will not bother with Prince/Princess titles for their children (if offered, or when Prince Charles becomes King), for a variety of reasons.

William & Harry were much more exposed to the media, cameras and public interest growing up than William has been allowing to happen to his children, on purpose. Certainly Diana & Charles did their best to shield their sons as best they could, but times were different in the 80s. What happened to their mother, has definitely impacted William/Harry and their desire to guard and protect their families' privacy.

The Duchess of Sussex is being very understated, casual, cool and elegant in her sartorial choices on this tour. She is tiring a bit reportedly, and is expected to slow down her schedule of appearances over the coming days.
 
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centerstage01

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I figured Harry and Meghan would do like Edward and Sophie and forgo the HRH title(s) for their child(ren). So if this baby is a boy, he’d be the Earl of Dumbarton as that’s Harry’s lesser title and any other kids would be Lord/Lady _____ Mountbatten-Windsor. Much easier to get through life today than as HRH Prince/ss ____ of Sussex.
 

aftershocks

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^^ That's true if M&H decide to simply forego only royal HRH Prince/Princess titles and opt for the nobility title their child would automatically be styled upon birth.

Meghan as the Duchess of Sussex finally dons some red in public. I love it! We just had to be patient, what with all the elegant but relentless black attire. :drama:;)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DqE3f4EUUAEtj6_.jpg:large

Meghan with Harry, now wearing a gray-and-white striped sun dress, and protectively cradling her belly:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DqFqUWrXQAA3REV.jpg:large
https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashi...markle-dresses-casually-day-seven-royal-tour/

Duchess Meghan looks very relaxed and happy. She will be resting at Kingfisher Resort on Fraser Island for a few days. Of course, she was already living her best life before she met Prince Harry. But now, aside from weird Markle family drama (which she apparently put aside successfully as she and Harry were trying to start their own family), Meghan looks absolutely ecstatic and fulfilled. I love her Serena Williams grey plaid blazer on this tour, and the trench coat and the white blazer, and especially the gorgeous Bondi beach striped maxi dress. Here's a slideshow of the Australia tour:
https://wwd.com/eye/people/gallery/meghan-markle-style-duchess-sussex-maternity-photos-1202879349/

A more extensive slideshow of Meghan's sartorial arc since marriage and some of her previous best looks:
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/g3272/meghan-markle-preppy-style/?slide=1

A day after their baby announcement, Meghan honored Diana PofW via wearing her mother-in-law's butterfly earrings and gold bracelet:

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celeb...e-princess-diana-butterfly-earrings-bracelet/

Here's some interesting background on the aquamarine ring of Diana's that Harry gave Meghan on their wedding day:
https://theadventurine.com/culture/royalty/more-on-that-aquamarine-ring-harry-gave-meghan/
"Diana ordered the ring from [Asprey] the English jeweler right around the time she separated from Prince Charles in August, 1996."

The Sussexes reportedly will soon be moving from KP's Nottingham Cottage into the renovated Apartment 1 at KP (which adjoins the Cambridges Apartment 1A), previously occupied by the Gloucesters. Meanwhile M&H reportedly spend weekends at a rented home in the Cotswolds on the Great Tew Estate. Also QEII is said to have gifted them York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate and Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Estate:
https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/...m-cottage-york-cottage-adelaide-cottage.html/
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celeb...e-harry-meghan-markle-house-adelaide-cottage/
https://www.romper.com/p/heres-the-...arry-are-leasing-for-the-next-2-years-9238432
 
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PDilemma

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Harry and Meghan won't be "opting" out. They will be accepting the current protocol which does not give HRH or prince/princess titles to Harry's children. Andrew's girls's titles are actually an exception to the rule. Edward's children are styled as the children of an Earl which is protocol. Anne's do not have titles as their father had no title (by choice) and titles outside those of the Queen's own children remain patrilineal. Had he accepted an earldom, they would've been styled children of an Earl as Princess Margaret's children are.

But, of course, if they accept the current protocol and do not request or are not granted HRH/Prince/ss as titles for any children, it will have to be some noble "opting out" on their part. Let's not let facts get in the way of that.

This brief video from In Style shows how much Harry is his grandfather's doppelganger. Seriously, I'll ask again, how has this never put the James Hewitt nonsense to rest:

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/prince-harrys-grandfather-could-twin-180438144.html
 

aftershocks

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Prince Andrew's daughters are the grandchildren of a monarch, and so their titles are not an 'exception.'

The James Hewitt nonsense is trotted out because the media enjoys scandal and making stuff up. From all accounts, Diana PofW gave birth to Prince Harry before she ever met Hewitt and subsequently began an affair with him. Harry was born in September 1984. Diana met Hewitt in the summer of 1986. Some of Prince Charles' friends are said to have started the malicious rumor of Hewitt having fathered Prince Harry, which greatly upset Diana because of how the unfounded rumor could hurt her youngest son. Obviously, Charles knows the rumor is not true, as do other members of the royal family who are aware of the timeline of Diana's association with Hewitt. And yes, quite obviously, Harry bears some facial resemblance to his grandfather, Prince Philip, particularly visible in pictures of the younger, bearded Philip.

Meanwhile the royal tour down under is garnering rave reviews.
Excerpts from Roya Nikkah in London Sunday Times:
"A triumphant tour of Australia by the prince and his newly pregnant wife ensures he will be central to his father’s vision for the Windsors’ future.
The rapturous reception accorded the Duke of Sussex and his pregnant duchess in Australia has confirmed that even the most trenchant of monarchy-mockers can be vulnerable to a royal baby bump, especially when it is sported by a mother-to-be as cheerfully photogenic as the former Meghan Markle...
Even Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of New South Wales, who declared last year that 'Australia should have an Australian head of state', swiftly succumbed to the Sussex charm offensive. 'My impression of them is of an amazing couple who demonstrate a deep compassion for fellow human beings and causes they believe in and they’re people of substance,' Berejiklian gushed. 'I hope they regard Australia as a safe place for them, somewhere where they are loved and adored.'
All of which helps to explain why the Sussexes, however distant from the throne, will remain central to Charles’s vision of a modern royal family... Even though [Harry] is not in the direct line to the throne, Charles sees Harry and his family as an essential part of that core monarchy... the Prince of Wales can see the impact they are having on this tour in [an Australian] realm with which [Great Britain] has a tricky relationship."


From the London Standard:
"Later that day [Harry] would make his speech to the assembled dignitaries, the veterans and sportsmen, the press and the public. But today he had an audience of one — or, as we now know, two: sitting on a chair in the front row, watching him intently, was the prince’s wife, Meghan.
The scene was — forgive me for my choice of words — pregnant...
It was at once touching and a little melancholy: the emptiness of the venue gave a stronger sense than any crowd does of the vast ceremonial spaces in which these people, a young man and his new wife, live their strange lives.
And a sense of how far he’s come — from the little boy plodding along behind his mother’s coffin, the flashbulb-stunned tumbler-out-of-nightclubs, from naughty Harry, dirty Harry, Harry the lad, lost Harry … This Harry has been to war, got himself a wife and is now on the brink of fatherhood... Imagine the lifetime passed being looked at, imagine the endless sea of strangers’ faces, turned towards you, that will accompany you almost everywhere you go. Talk about being alone in a crowd. And imagine too what, in that lifelong stadium of empty chairs, it would mean to have one face, one particular face, that looks to you from the crowd each time and knows you for yourself ..."

Following their stay on Fraser's Island, in Queensland, Australia, where Duchess Meghan took some time off to rest, the Sussexes will be flying to Fiji for a number of celebrations, including a State Dinner...
 

JJH

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I am not a big fan of cape dresses. I am a big fan of neutral colors. This is not a neutral color. The queen would look adorable in this color, though. It's very BRIGHT. Not the gown I was hoping for. Sigh...
 

antmanb

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Yay, another 1000 posts speculating about bloody titles. Maybe she'll give birth before this thread reaches 1000 posts and then we will know for sure.

Although then there will probably be arguments about what the titles should have been instead :yawn:
 

taf2002

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Harry is the Duke of Sussex so all his children are entitled to Lord & Lady. However it has been speculated that Harry's oldest son (if he has one) may be bestowed with Harry's lesser title which is Earl of something. But whatever is going to happen will happen with or without thousands of speculations.
 

Lorac

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I am not a big fan of cape dresses. I am a big fan of neutral colors. This is not a neutral color. The queen would look adorable in this color, though. It's very BRIGHT. Not the gown I was hoping for. Sigh...

I don't like cape dresses either so this dress isn't up there as a favourite but I do like the colour as it suits her complexion IMO. Also her earrings are gorgeous. Harry looks pretty good too.
 

MsZem

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Harry and William have Scottish earldoms, and if I'm not mistaken, those are their titles when in Scotland. I don't know that they can be used as courtesy titles.

Here is Princess Estelle visiting a museum with some other people.

Also, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima are on a state visit to the UK. Bling and hats are guaranteed.
 
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screech

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The colour of the dress is stunning, and overall I don't mind the dress, except it's a bit shapeless on her. But boy, has her belly ever popped overnight!
I do think the dress could have benefited from a stronger lip. It also would have looked nice with her hair up in an elegant bun to really show off those earrings (which apparently belong to the queen).
 

Lorac

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Harry and William have Scottish earldoms, and if I'm not mistaken, those are their titles when in Scotland. I don't know that they can be used as courtesy titles.

Here is Princess Estelle visiting a museum with some other people.

Also, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima are on a state visit to the UK. Bling and hats are guaranteed.

Thanks for the link to the pics of the State Visit - in one of those photos King Willem-Alexander is holding QEII hand and the smile on her face is so beautiful. And another one shows just how tiny QEII is!!
 

Lorac

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Moving on to the tiara portion of the visit, Queen Maxima does not disappoint.

The Duchess of Cambridge is also very shiny and sparkly.

Love, love, love the tiaras on show. The Stuart Tiara being worn by Queen Maxima is spectacular and she wears it so well. Hopefully we get a better picture of the Duchess of Cambridge's dress and jewels as they look stunning!!!

ETA: And pleased to see Catherine has finally been awarded QEII Royal Family Order.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Family_Order_of_Elizabeth_II

ETA2: The Daily Mail does one thing well - Royal Pictures. The attached has many pictures of the State Banquet with close up pics of all the dresses and tiaras. I love the Duchess of Cambridge's dress - it is a glorious colour and she looks stunning. The jewels are to die for.

However I will say Princess Mabel van Oranje-Nassau dress is certain to stand out in a crowd - scroll down the article to find it!!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/...joins-Prince-William-Dutch-state-banquet.html
 
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screech

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Spectacular sparkles on Kate, though I don't love her dress. It looks very wrinkly to me, and I'm not a fan of ruching, or that kind of mid-thigh skirt change.
 

centerstage01

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Well, it took seven years and giving birth to three children, but I’m glad that Kate has finally been given family orders. The rest of her jewelry is spectacular as well. The dress is okay for me. I love the color and the top half, but the bottom has issues.

And you knew Queen Maxima was going to bring out the biggest gun she could for a state visit! That is one eye-popping tiara. Queen Elizabeth looks beautiful as usual.
 

JJH

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Warning. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the University of the South Pacific sartorial choices are not for the fainthearted. If you like BRIGHT and FLORAL you might be pleased If you like a dress that seems to be designed for Carmen or flamenco or the summer of love, you might be pleased. She seems to have cat toys tied around her waist. I like the flowers in her hair. She gave a speech in this outfit.

I'm a big fan of her neutral and tailored choices. This outfit reminds me of her flowered outfit at the first summer wedding.

Edited to add that the Duchess gave a good speech, and that's really what's important (not her clothes).
 
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MLIS

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Harry and Meghan won't be "opting" out. They will be accepting the current protocol which does not give HRH or prince/princess titles to Harry's children. Andrew's girls's titles are actually an exception to the rule. Edward's children are styled as the children of an Earl which is protocol.

Sorry, but this is not correct. George V's letters patent granted the HRH Prince/Princess title to all male line grandchildren of the monarch. So Princes Charles, Andrew, and Edward's children are all entitled to the HRH. It is not an exception or something special granted to Beatrice and Eugenie. Edward and Sophie have chosen to have their children use "lesser" titles as children of an Earl, but Louise and James would be entitled to the HRH if they wanted to use it. It is true that Harry's children, one generation further removed from the throne even if they will be closer in the line of succession, will not be entitled to the HRH until Charles becomes king, at which point they will be male line grandchildren of the monarch. Harry and Meghan may well choose to decline the titles on their children's behalf, as Princess Anne and Edward and Sophie did, or the Queen may issue a new letters patent granting the HRH to all grandchildren of the Prince of Wales, or any number of things might happen.
 

skatesindreams

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Spectacular sparkles on Kate, though I don't love her dress. It looks very wrinkly to me, and I'm not a fan of ruching, or that kind of mid-thigh skirt change.
The dress appears to be made of taffeta, which often seems to wrinkle.
 

kittyjake5

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Thanks all for the photo links to the State Visit. The Queen is dressed beautifully as well as the other royals.
Loved the Tiara parade. :glamor:
 
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