The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge’s widely successful North American tour is over, and it looks like the press is scraping the barrel and milking the stories for what its worth. Other than an announcement that William and Kate intend to keep a lower profile till the end of the year (something we’ve already known), what has happened exactly? Nothing. But now people are insinuating that the young royal couple’s popularity has made Prince Charles uneasy, just as his late wife did 30 years ago…
Take note that the story was first suggested by Richard Kay, who was Princess Diana’s friend and media leak. According to him, Prince Charles feels “he is caught between a rock and a hard place. There is the growing affection for his son on one side and the enduring reverence for the Queen on the other. In short, he feels overlooked.” At the same time, he feels that William & Kate’s recent overseas tour had far too many photo opportunities and that their success undermines the work of other royals. So what’s Charles to do? Shift his PR strategy to change the public’s attitude toward him.
Do I personally believe this? No, not in the slightest until I find concrete proof… To me this is the media yet again pitching the royals against each other to create drama. And as royal watchers, we can’t believe everything we read. With no news, unfounded nonstories often come to print, just like America’s recent rubbish about Kate’s weight and fertility fears. The blog All Things Regal has a brilliant piece on not “specuKating.” Highly recommended read.
Articles:
- Prince Charles: I deserve to be loved
- Prince Charles moans that Wills & Kate are overshadowing other royals
- Call grows for Prince Charles to step aside for Prince William
- What Charles is right over Wills & Kate mania
- Arise, Queen Catherine — though Charles should still be next king
William & Kate’s North American Tour: Quotes & Reviews
It was the king of royal tours — the best for decades. Now William & Kate have retreated to a normal married life in Wales. This weekend (if Twitter sightings are to be trusted), the couple went to the cinema in Llandudno (North Wales) to catch (what else?) Harry Potter! The Telegraph also reports that the couple with take on larger roles as British business ambassadors in the future.
A royal aide said: “It is not something that William or Catherine had done before LA, but they have genuinely enjoyed being ambassadors for the UK and flying the flag for British business in America, and it is definitely something they will start to do more of. It will not always be about just going to realms in the future. They will now start to visit countries of strategic importance to the United Kingdom with the purpose of meeting the Foreign Office’s commercial objectives. Just as the Prince of Wales regularly meets with corporate and environmental leaders during his overseas tours to highlight British trade and investments, so the couple will begin to emulate this approach through the prism of their own interests.”
On Kate, he says: “All of us have been utterly amazed and impressed by how well she’s done, and she has genuinely enjoyed herself all the way. I know the Duke is incredibly proud of her.” Kate is said to perhaps begin to take on patronages and charities starting the autumn, after the palace receiving “several thousand” charities requesting for her involvement.
Anyway, back to William & Kate’s recent tour: reviews from royal correspondents and memorable quotes:
- Kate dons her best accessory for Royal Tour — her smile
- On the royal road: Hello! Judy Wade’s review
- Memorable quotes from William, Kate, celebrities and fans
- Julie Chen on meeting William & Kate
Looking Forward to: Zara & Mike’s Wedding
On July 30, this year’s second royal wedding — between Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Phillips & her rugby player fiance Mike Tindall — will take place in Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh. We’ve read before that the wedding will be a “private affair.” Now the Mail reports that Zara been forced to turn down a £500,000 wedding deal with Hello! magazine after Buckingham Palace vetoed the arrangement. Her brother Peter had done this for his 2008 wedding to Autumn Kelly, much to the dismay of the palace.
Instead, Zara & Mike’s wedding will see a small number of hand-picked photographers allowed into the Palace of Holyroodhouse to record the arrival and departure of the bridal party and their immediate families. This includes newlyweds William & Kate, the Queen, Prince Harry and the Tindall family. The ceremony and reception afterwards will be strictly off-limits to commercial photographers.
Article: Daily Mail
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