Royal Style and Gossip: The Sussexes Down Under; Meghan is glowing

[CurlyWurlyTwirly]

Harry & Meghan have arrived in Sydney.
The purple folders coordinating with her coat will not slow down speculation...

This is from an interview with Meghan's half-brother about the lottery money:

The money helped send Meghan to the $16,000-a-year Immaculate Heart Catholic School, one of LA's finest, followed by Northwestern University where she studied drama: 'Meg won scholarships to other universities but she wanted to go to Northwestern so she did,' her brother adds.

This suggests that there was still some money left to go towards university fees.

I always presumed TM has scoliosis but I have just googled it and there is no mention. As she spoke so candidly about her type 1 diabetes, I imagine she would have disclosed if she had back problems?

She has a terrible job and it has certainly taken it’s toll on her skin and body. Then again I suppose she thinks she is lucky and it is her dream job.

PC looks suddenly old. Older than 70 IMO. Was his hair white in those banquet clips? Considering he's had the best of everything all his life - looking so frail now. My FIL is 70 and looks much younger than PC.

I've been watching the video of M&H visiting the president. That white/cream high necked dress is not so bad when you see her moving in it. She is very rabbit in the headlights though. Hair touching and hand holding all the time. She acts quite young and unworldly. Very conscious of the cameras; not wanting to give away the slightest dodgy expression or pose. Can't blame her i guess, but it makes for awkward watching somehow. I keep thinking she's going to bolt

Laiste that description sums it up perfectly. That was my thought too.

I agree that Kate and William look tired. I know they have three young children but they also have all the help they could need and no job to do on top so I’m not sure why they would be tired. Their public duties are still quite limited.
The timing of Meghan’s pregnancy has worked out quite well with the tour coming as she is in second trimester. It would have been much tougher if she was still in the first 12 weeks. I know they have to do a lot of travel on this tour but the engagements are short affairs and I read that they had built in lots of rest breaks. Most pregnant women are having to work full time jobs. My friend is also due in the spring and is on her feet all day as a nurse. When they get back off this tour, Meghan will probably not be seen very much until after baby comes.

Charles might have a health condition we haven’t been told about. I think the lack of choice in his life is probably harder to live with than generally thought - yes he has money & is v picky but he has no say & even when he is king he won’t actually have any real power.

Prince Charles has been able to indulge every whim he wants, he can fly planes, can indulge his love of gardening with Highgrove, he has money pouring in from the Duchy of Cornwall, he has set up the Prince's Trust, has been officially with Camilla for over 25 years. He has endless houses, castles and palaces. Servants, aides, does not need to lift a finger. He's not even got that much press scrutiny if he doesn't court it. As far as waiting to be King. Ok, he gets to be on money and stamps. But as Harry has said, no one wants the top job. Maybe Charles is the last person who does. I actually like the man; but I.do not fell sorry for him.

I really think Kate is too thin for her own frame.

We all have a natural "fighting weight" and I think she is well under hers. She is clearly very physically very fit and is naturally pretty slim but she is not naturally very skinny. It really doesn't suit her and a realistic weight would also soften that lovely face.

(I note that none of the Scandi Princesses look hungry!)

Queen - we need a new thread!

@QueenOfTheAndals

Will you start off the next thread. I just nipped in to do this one as the last one filled up so fast! Looks like New Zealand will have it's own thread !

Laiste that's exactly what I think. Even with the 'security scare' today all the people around her looked concerned, MM was still doing that soppy smile - almost detached from reality. Very odd indeed, have not seen any other new princesses from normal backgrounds doing this, and Mary, Letizia, Rania etc were all much younger when they got married.

I am aware that I have too much time on my hands....

Will do @CurlyWurlyTwirly but if it gets to 999 posts and I haven't started a new thread then feel free to do so! I think we may need one by this evening...

I think the pink dress manages to make Meghan look dumpy on the bottom half, quite a feat really, I think it’s the length combined with the frills plus ankle tie shoes. I don’t mind the pattern or pom poms but less fussy skirt would be more flattering.

Kate does look tired and I agree with above, a little extra weight would look better on her. I feel for her though because no doubt she feels pressure to be very slim.

thane - just been looking at the photos and the team around her do look very worried. I wonder what happened. Apparently she whispered something to one of her team and that's when they cut it all short. She was only there 6 minutes. I think it's absolutely crazy to have organised this tour a few months after their marriage when it was clear she was probably going to be pregnant. Why not allow her to settle into her new life and get to grips with it all first? Let her work for her causes and follow her own interests in the UK, whilst adjusting to married life, being a UK citizen, being pregnant etc. They seem to have learned nothing from what happened to Diana really.

not thane, thatone!

I don't actually think Kate is super skinny. She's very slim but looks fairly toned and athletic to me rather than underweight. Maybe it's from running after George and Charlotte, and if she's breastfeeding Louis that could account for weight loss - I was over half a stone under my pre-pregnancy weight within a month of DC's birth! Even though they have nannies, I think she spends a lot of time with her children. It's what she would've been used to from her parents and the Middletons seem a very close and happy family.

Pippa seems to be virtually back to pre pregnancy weight too. It's in the genes to some extent I think. However, looking back at photos of Kate pre marriage, she looks much more normal, and healthier a bit heavier.

Maybe the rumours about Kate being a smoker are true. It rather endears her to me as I imagine her and Camilla having a sneaky fag and G&T round the back of Kensington Palace, while moaning about Charles and William!

She was definitely a smoker pre pregnancy. Ive seen several photos of her smoking that were published in European newspapers. I guess UK papers weren’t allowed to publish them. Harry was/is a smoker too.

I don't think Harry is a smoker anymore. Meghan seems very clean-living with her healthy-eating and yoga, and he's probably a changed man!

www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/2415035/kate-middleton-horse-racing-02/

Look at the difference!

That photo of Kate is from 11 years ago though - I'm sure we all look fairly different to how we did in 2007!

She still looks very slim on those photos, her face is fuller then but I think that’s just what age does to us all.

I hate to say it, but the pink dress is growing on me! (Not the Pom poms though!)
Can't believe it cost over a grand mind. That's crazy.

I have had a nasty feeling about PC for years in that I think he won't make his coronation or his reign will be short lived

I have also thought for many years that Prince William has an undisclosed ongoing mental health issue

There are loads of examples I can give as to why I think this.

Pawnee, now you can't leave us guessing - more details please? But yes, I feel you are probably right.