General News for the Cambridge Family Part 3: March 2017-September 2022

[jesam]

There is no magic formula to settling down. Bea was following the same "get to know you" formula with Dave Clark and he dropped her after 10 years and married someone else a relatively short time later. William did confess publicly he was too young to marry and he also was seeing other women. So I don't think it exactly was a "thought out" formula. I think Kate would not have said no if he proposed as early as 2007.

Charles himself confessed he was interested in someone else and preferred her to Diana (he confessed this to Dimbleby). William was not in the same situation by any means.

Harry dated Meghan for about 2 years so it's not like they impulsively boarded a plane and married in a chapel in Las Vegas.

He wasn't seeing other women. Before Kate yes but after Kate no. Just like Kate herself had boyfriends before William. Why would you say something like that...... That's just wrong. And how would you know she would have said yes if he proposed to her in 2007.... Maybe they both didn't want to marry at that time. They both said in their engagement interview that they began talking about marriage about a year before they get engaged...Stop projecting your ideas about people you don't know and stop reading tabloids.....

 

[Heavs]

A couple of Camilla Tominey articles on the events of the last day or so from The Telegraph.

https://archive.ph/RZifE

Prince William’s intervention 25 years in the making – and inspired by desire to be mother’s protector

The Duke of Cambridge could never fathom why his mother had spoken so candidly to the BBC.

https://archive.ph/f86kb

William is quietly winning the battle of the royal brothers

Their responses to Bashir revelations are as different as they are as people, but we knew they would be

 

[yukari]

Interesting tidbit from todays engagement atau St Andrew

https://twitter.com/x/status/1397544316738969600

When The Queen visited
@univofstandrews
in 1982 she was given a miniature version of the scarlet undergraduate gown for the baby Prince William
https://collections.st-andrews.ac.uk/series/queens-visit-to-st-andrews-university/577511…

And 23 years later, he wore the grown up version of the gown.

 

[Betsypaige]

Fantastic article ...

A royal source told The Sun: “The pandemic, coupled with what Harry is doing, has actually given William a renewed sense of purpose.

“He can now really see the difference between being a celebrity and leading a life of proper public service.

“In times of crisis the royals provide the public with reassurance, which isn’t something celebrities can do.”

....

Our royal source added: “As a young man William was really struggling with the burden of his role.

“He was angry about his mother’s death and probably questioning whether he wanted a royal life. Now he’s really embraced it.”

Harry is absolutely wrong. I don’t think William feels trapped. I think he gets what his destiny is and he is embracing it.


Author Penny believes the turning point came on his visit to Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2011, after the earthquake that killed 185.

She revealed: “I think it was in New Zealand that he realised the power of the monarchy to help others.

“He discovered that just by being there, and because of who he was, he could make a difference.”

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15100883/prince-william-rose-above-harrys-attacks/

 

[Heavs]

This seems to be The Sun's version of that profile from The Times a couple of months ago with a lot of the same type of quotes. It was pretty good for them and always interesting to get titbits from reporters I hadn't heard before, like that moment during the electrical storm during the Pakistan tour. And interesting to have quotes from people like Arthur Edwards who have literally photographed him growing up.

I've always thought the trip to Israel, Palestine and Jordan was a turning point in how he managed his role too.

And they reiterate the point that having a few years where he proved to himself and everyone else that he could do a different skilled job was important to him and his development, despite the raised eyebrows from a lot of people, including me. In hindsight it was a good move.

 

[Denville]

This seems to be The Sun's version of that profile from The Times a couple of months ago with a lot of the same type of quotes. It was pretty good for them and always interesting to get titbits from reporters I hadn't heard before, like that moment during the electrical storm during the Pakistan tour. And interesting to have quotes from people like Arthur Edwards who have literally photographed him growing up.

I've always thought the trip to Israel, Palestine and Jordan was a turning point in how he managed his role too.

And they reiterate the point that having a few years where he proved to himself and everyone else that he could do a different skilled job was important to him and his development, despite the raised eyebrows from a lot of people, including me. In hindsight it was a good move.

I think it was very good for him to have the few years as a pilot.. even if he could not do it indefinitely. He felt like he had a few years of normality, that he could do an ordinary job.. and he and Kate had more time to spend with their kids in the first couple of years.. and Now I think that they are OK with facing the future as senior full time royals...

 

[Betsypaige]

This seems to be The Sun's version of that profile from The Times a couple of months ago with a lot of the same type of quotes. It was pretty good for them and always interesting to get titbits from reporters I hadn't heard before, like that moment during the electrical storm during the Pakistan tour. And interesting to have quotes from people like Arthur Edwards who have literally photographed him growing up.

I've always thought the trip to Israel, Palestine and Jordan was a turning point in how he managed his role too.

And they reiterate the point that having a few years where he proved to himself and everyone else that he could do a different skilled job was important to him and his development, despite the raised eyebrows from a lot of people, including me. In hindsight it was a good move.

It seems like William is very much in the mold of his grandparents and father...he just gets on with it. Even if he didn’t love having all that responsibility, he never complained - and he eventually recognized how much good he could do. He’ll make a fantastic king.

I’m also glad William has had that chance to be a family man before he becomes Prince of Wales and his responsibilities increase greatly.

 

[iceflower]

The Duchess of Cambridge has received her first vaccination:


** Pic ** Post **

Yesterday I received my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at London’s Science Museum. I’m hugely grateful to everyone who is playing a part in the rollout - thank you for everything you are doing.

 

[solinka]

When I hear people praising Catherine for ''keeping dignified silence'' and ''knowing when to shut her mouth'' I shudder.

 

[Heavs]

When I hear people praising Catherine for ''keeping dignified silence'' and ''knowing when to shut her mouth'' I shudder.

I don't think it's been a big talking point recently in regards to Kate. When it is talked about it's not about "women" it's about being a member of the BRF. A family that has a lot of power and privilege but *has* to be apolitical and neutral on a lot of topics. And it was her choice. It's clear from a lot of articles and sources that Kate is a full partner in her marriage (as much as anyone can tell from the outside) and has a lot of influence in the family and she has been called a "peacemaker" but not "knows when to shut her mouth".

HM is one of the most respected people in the world for her hard work of nearly 70 years but she rarely speaks and when she does, people listen.

Kate has spoken out on a number of important topics, like mental health and her early years programme. Sophie, Camilla, Anne, Birgitte, Katherine and even Bea and Eugenie have all made their voices heard on causes close to their heart. They can't demonstrate in the street or support a particular party but they can support or found charities and initiatives that work towards similar goals.

It's not the the women, Charles has sometimes been criticised for getting too involved in politics and that is something he will have to be careful of when he becomes King.

I would say the whole of the BRF, the men included have been keeping a "dignified silence" recently in the face of increasingly bitter attacks but it wouldn't do any good for fire back publicly.

 

[Somebody]

When I hear people praising Catherine for ''keeping dignified silence'' and ''knowing when to shut her mouth'' I shudder.

Where do you read that? And is it only about Catherine or is it about the royal family in general?

 

[Denville]

Where do you read that? And is it only about Catherine or is it about the royal family in general?

not sure what it even means. Cath is a member of the RF, they are supposed to be tactful, diplomatic and neutral. She by nad large does know when to speak and when to be silent....

 

[Somebody]

not sure what it even means. Cath is a member of the RF, they are supposed to be tactful, diplomatic and neutral. She by nad large does know when to speak and when to be silent....

Exactly, hence why I asked whether these 'comments' were only targeted at Catherine (because she is a woman as was implied) or that these 'comments' apply also to other members of the family (which seems more likely).

But I wanted to give solinka the opportunity to further explain herself.

 

[Lee-Z]

When I hear people praising Catherine for ''keeping dignified silence'' and ''knowing when to shut her mouth'' I shudder.

[…]my guess is, this is not about Catherine (and certainly not about women in general), but rather it's a showing of frustration some members of the general public seem to have about Catherine's sister in law who is sometimes critiqued as 'talking too much (in a negative way) about the RF'

don't think you should read anything else in a comment like that..

 

[Heavs]

Here's an article by Camilla Tominey for Stella Magazine in the Sunday Telegraph

How the Duchess of Cambridge became the monarchy's greatest asset

The Windsors have faced their most turbulent period in a generation – but Kate Middleton has overcome her shyness and found her feet

https://archive.ph/uIDwk

According to royal biographer Christopher Wilson, ‘What Kate has managed to achieve – and I think in a better way than Princess Diana did – is to combine magic with retaining a sense of the ordinary. Diana went off the scale of stardom and disappeared into the stratosphere. Kate has kept her feet on the ground, coming from this determinedly middle-class family, which has in turn helped to ground William too. Their marriage is strong because of that. There is no jealousy between the two, no question of one being upstaged by the other.

‘These are very different times to when the Queen and Prince Philip were 10 years married. Royalty treads very much more on thin ice these days, yet Kate’s always managed to keep a clear and sane head.’

Referring to her role in brokering a rapprochement between her husband and brother-in-law, he adds: ‘I didn’t see that as being a staged thing. I thought it was entirely spontaneous and clever in making the two brothers talk to each other. It was a deft move that shows the Duchess is not overawed by all that’s going on.’

And

Delighted he had finally found the One, royal aides have long been at pains to point out that Kate was welcoming when Meghan came on to the royal scene in 2016.

Indeed in their engagement interview in November 2017, the couple commented on how responsive the royals had been, with Harry saying: ‘Catherine has been absolutely…’ and Meghan finishing his sentence: ‘She’s been wonderful.’ Harry said William had also provided ‘fantastic support’. Yet as the quartet who came to be known as the Fab Four began working more closely together, the stark difference between the introverted Cambridges and the extroverted Sussexes soon came racing to the surface.

While William and Harry had grown used to overcoming their occasional personality clashes, the challenge was harder for Kate and Meghan – who, while a royal newcomer, came to the job with a public profile. According to one royal source, the ‘intrinsically shy’ Kate had little in common with the American former actor. As the well-placed royal source recently confided: ‘Let’s just say they are very different women. On one hand, you had the Duchess who has never been 100 per cent sure of herself, especially when speaking in public. On the other you had Meghan, who at times was a little too sure of herself, even though she had only recently arrived on the royal scene. It was quite a tricky situation to manage.’ (Close aides stand by their claim that a postnatal Kate was left in tears, as originally reported by The Telegraph.)

 

[valeas]

Here's an article by Camilla Tominey for Stella Magazine in the Sunday Telegraph



https://archive.ph/uIDwk



And

Thank you.
I always liked the way Kate did things and she had no need to rush into everything, but took time to build her marriage and growing family.
I'd say this is her natural character and not suddenly finding herself,
but if so it's perfect aswell.
William and her certainly learned from both Kate's parents but from Charles&Diana's mistakes, too and probably from Camilla&Charles better working model aswell.
No man likes to be overshadowed from his wife, call me oldfashioned
but this is how most marriages work and these without global attention from the media. A balanced relationship honours both characters and the Cambridges seem to have worked out this very well.
Very happy for them.

 

[yukari]

I'm sorry for being nitpicky:

(...). Her poise under intense scrutiny following the bombshell Oprah interview, the way she carried her family with strength during the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh and the new-found graceful gravitas in her public persona all mark a turning point in her royal journey. It’s no coincidence that Kate is also turning 40 in January and as she approaches this milestone it’s clear she is ready for her future role as queen.

(...)

It is certainly not the first time the 39-year-old has drawn on her grounded Bucklebury upbringing to tame sometimes fiery royal emotions. William ‘hit the roof’ when paparazzi photographs emerged of his wife sunbathing topless during a private holiday in the south of France in 2012, but Kate largely shrugged it off. Not one to pore over press coverage – unlike her husband, 38, who is described as ‘a bit of a news junkie’ – the Duchess remained relatively unruffled by the images, which not only showed her in a state of semi-nudity but also puffing on cigarettes.

(...)

So she's 40 in the beginning and as the naration is about DoE funeral, she's 39 again in the paragraph that talking about nude photo in 2012? Plus was there any cigarettes back then? I've never seen the said photos but I remember the story back then was she's topless and there's rumour that there's also one which she's removing her bottom plus William getting "excited", but I can't recall cigarettes.

 

[Osipi]

I'm sorry for being nitpicky:


So she's 40 in the beginning and as the naration is about DoE funeral, she's 39 again in the paragraph that talking about nude photo in 2012? Plus was there any cigarettes back then? I've never seen the said photos but I remember the story back then was she's topless and there's rumour that there's also one which she's removing her bottom plus William getting "excited", but I can't recall cigarettes.

It does state that she'll turn 40 in January then refers to her as the 39 year old she is now. I also remember the statements regarding the photos in France and also do not remember hearing that she was smoking at the time.

If she does smoke, she's done a good job of keeping it private. Some people do have an occasional smoke in times of stress. I remember, though, growing up and my mother (a smoker) told me that "ladies never, ever smoke in public". Didn't stop me though.

 

[JR76]

I'm sorry for being nitpicky:


So she's 40 in the beginning and as the naration is about DoE funeral, she's 39 again in the paragraph that talking about nude photo in 2012? Plus was there any cigarettes back then? I've never seen the said photos but I remember the story back then was she's topless and there's rumour that there's also one which she's removing her bottom plus William getting "excited", but I can't recall cigarettes.

I've seen old photos of her smoking.

 

[yukari]

My bad.
Since the overall is about DoE funeral (and Oprah interview) and it's only May, when I spot January my brain thought it's January this year (without re-read the full sentence ). It's my bad habit, my eyes have been trained to spot numbers and letters next to it, then only skim the rest (I'm a STEM person with strong emphasize on the E) ?

I've seen old photos of her smoking.

Is it the 2012 topless photo?

I remember seeing paps picture of Catherine with a cigarette in her hand, either she's having a party or it's her usual "pub outing". Can't remember the exact year, but it was from her dating year (or maybe around the break up?). I don't recall seeing one post-marriage.

 

[yukari]

Will Prince William and Kate Middleton move George to a Berkshire boarding school? Royal couple are scoping out facilities and homes amid a possible move to the county

It's DM, so take it with grain of salt. OTOH, it's Rebecca English so she may have something there. But here's some key points if you avoiding DM (like I usually do).

(...)

In recent weeks the couple’s discreet inquiries about – and visits to – future schools for their children in Kate’s home county have set local tongues wagging.

Sources are at pains to stress that any changes for the family will have no effect on their set-up at Kensington Palace.

It will remain their London home and office even after they become Prince and Princess of Wales.

(...)

Some sources have speculated they could chose to rent privately in Berkshire as a short-term solution.

There are plenty of available properties on the Queen’s Windsor estate, they say.

But others have told the Mail the couple are likely to remain in London in term time, and this seems more likely.

In this case they are more likely to go for weekly or flexi-boarding options in Berkshire when the children are older as there is a plethora of highly rated boarding schools in the region.

And it means they could still use Anmer at weekends and holidays.

(...)

It is understood the couple are casting their net wider than just schools traditionally favoured by the Royal Family, although no firm decisions have been made. It is believed Ludgrove is not currently in the running for George.

A source said: ‘Nothing has been decided and of course they could very well decide to keep the children at Thomas’s, but William and Kate have recently visited schools in the Berkshire area, which has got a lot of people talking.’

Tbh, I can't see why the whole family need to move just because one child (possibly) attends some school far from home.

 

[SLV]

George and Charlotte just started school there, will be a few years before they finish that and go to secondairy school.

 

[Heavs]

George and Charlotte just started school there, will be a few years before they finish that and go to secondairy school.

You often still "put your name down" as interested for public school/senior school a few years before you are due to potentially go there. So I think it's possible they're at least considering some schools for George.

I do think they will want something that offers at least weekly/flexi boarding because of their schedules which are likely to get busier in the next few years and the potential for their children to be normal and just one of the crowd. Though maybe not Eton which only takes full boarders.

 

[Denville]

I'd say they'll opt for weekly boarding for their children. I think they are not likely to want to have the kids away from home for months at a time but of course as time goes on they will be busier and away from home more, so it will be good for the children to have a settled place where they can stay and be with their friends.

 

[yukari]

George and Charlotte just started school there, will be a few years before they finish that and go to secondairy school.

Didn't William went to Ludgrove School when he's 8 years old before attending Eton at 13 yo?

I think that's why this story emerges, George will be 8 next month so there's a question of whether he would follow the pattern similar to his father (the article states that Ludgrove is not in the run though.

Still, the speculation about the whole family move to Berkshire is rather questionable. I mean, what about Louis and Charlotte schooling if they move?

 

[SLV]

Why did William change school at 8? And is there a reason why George would need to do so too?

 

[Denville]

Why did William change school at 8? And is there a reason why George would need to do so too?

Wiliam went to school at 8 because at the time, upper class kids did go to boarding school quite early..

 

[Lemon Lyman]

I wonder if they have seen the life the Wessex kids have had being close to London but still going to schools out of the city and maybe thinking of doing the same. I don’t think the Wessex kids board. I have a feeling the Cambridge kids won’t. I think they may move - good schools, close to the Middletons if Catherine and William are away.

 

[Somebody]

I'd say they'll opt for weekly boarding for their children. I think they are not likely to want to have the kids away from home for months at a time but of course as time goes on they will be busier and away from home more, so it will be good for the children to have a settled place where they can stay and be with their friends.

They might; especially when the kids are older. But why can't that 'settled place' be home? It's not that they don't have nannies etc who can stay with them when William and Catherine might be gone.

 

[HenRach Dominion]

I may be wrong, but didn't HRH The Duke of Cambridge enjoy boarding school? And I think HRH The Duchess of Cambridge was bullied at one boarding school and thrived in another? If that's the case, then both of them would probably be okay with a long-term boarding school for their kids.

Could the children stay with their grandparents while HRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are working if their future school is in Berkshire?