Royal style & gossip: more gowns, less frowns

[QueenOfTheAndals]

Link to previous thread.

And once again, let's keep this good-spirited. Spiteful comments are about as welcome as Fergie at Prince Philip's birthday party!

The green dress is worse than I thought - a sad floppy bow at the neck!?

C'mon Kate, you're a year younger than me!

Being bland is a virtue when it comes to the RF. If you have an opinion it will create issues as it will clash with political views at various points and will be seen as the RF trying to influence policy. DofS didnt understand this. She was shocked when my brother said he doesn't work for her. He is under the command of his superiors who are under the command of the Queen, not her. She was taken aback by his comment and made a comment to PH about my brother needing to know his place. Luckily PH and my brother got along well and what was said about my brother was ignored but what's dofS needs to understand is that a comment like hers could end someone's career. You just don't take advantage of your position like that. I have employees of DHs company who get really nervous when they speak to me. I let it go and would never say something to DH. They work for him. If someone does something special or does well I will always share that with him.

DofC playing it bland is extremely smart of her.

The dress isn't particularly exciting or stylish, but there's nothing wrong with it. It's pretty, and non-threatening and just a little boring. Which I think is probably the look she was going for.

I like the polka dot dress. It's what we call schoolmarm chic in the US. I think Catherine carries it off well.

Bugger off Gabrielle...

Completely agree want2. The thing is what sort of person wants a staff member to ‘know their place’ when she has just married into the family? Says volumes about her really.
Kate understNds it’s not all about her. She’s priveliged and has a duty to do a job. M thinks it’s the Meghan and Harry show with free servants.

Beautifully put, Want2bSupermum

The problem with wanting to influence things is that we all sometimes make mistakes or things don't turn out as you'd hoped, and then the influencers are expected to take their share of the responsibility ... and as we've seen time and again, the Windsors aren't keen on that at all

Okay so it makes for good gossip if they do something controversial, but safer on the whole to keep it bland

I'm in two minds about Meghan.

I really like Kate's dress. It's a lovely colour and a flattering style, very attractive. She looks good, nice hair colour (less red, a bit lighter) and good make up!
Meghan? Beautiful, stunning, glamorous. I totally want those gold sandals!! Kudos with that confidence and attitude!

Hmm, well on the face of it (and in the absence of any context) a comment like “I don’t work for you” comes across as rude. I’m sure most Royal stuff would be wary of using such blunt language, even if it’s the truth.

*Royal staff, not stuff!

Wants2bsupermum seems like people are resigning for a reason. It would be very difficult to work for someone like that. Sounds like a total bitch.

I don't like Kate's dress much. I don't think it does anything for her. Don't like her shoes either. She so beautiful, but has been looking drawn and tired lately. They put so much energy into what they do and really engage.

I'm coming very late to this thread and don't have anything to offer, just prefer 'Threads I'm on' to 'Watched Threads'.

But he doesn’t work for her. He works for HM The Queen. Probably on military attachment or security.

Another thing about Kate's slightly bland, polka dot dress ... she was visiting the Evelina Children’s Hospital and the Passage Charity, so that's sick children, worried parents and the homeless

If ever there were occasions to keep the attention on the visited rather than the visitor, I'd say those were it

Very true Puzzle!

Also on the subject of suitable behaviour in the role, wasn't it said that William used to spend a lot of private time with the Queen while at Eton?

Impossible to imagine HM would have passed up the opportunity to influence him, just as Queen Mary took a hand in training her -especially when she has an heir many regard as a busted flush

I just thought maybe William's shared some of the wisdom he gained from her with Kate ... ?

Well said Want & Puzzled

Hopefully Meghan learns in time - she’s been doing this for such a short time & it’s a steep learning curve even more so to think she’s moved continents, has a awful family & is pregnant very quickly.

Haworthia He works for the military. He doesn't work for her or PH. He works for the Queen.

To be honest, I'm not sure why Meghan has to "learn" anything. She is now in a very high profile role. Yes, it's that way because she is married to a prince. But the fact is that she's been catapulted into a position where it is HER that is in the limelight and taking the heat and being discussed in minute detail in the media, on social media etc. Why the hell SHOULDN'T she insist on some control over how that works?

And it is misogynist. I'm sure if Harry was Princess Harriet, her new husband Morgan wouldn't be getting any of this shit. Just like Philip May doesn't get a 10th of the focus and commentary that Samantha Cameron got. "What, Sam, you want to have a job and not be the pretty little bit of eye candy for your husband? how dare you, don't you know how things are done!?" But it's okay for Philip just to get on with his investment career no problem. And let's' not pretend that officially or not, the fact that his wife is the prime minister will be bringing him lots of kudos (and probably some pain too!)

Seems like this thread has s9me uncalled for awful comments on it again. It also isn't appropriate to be posting all edged private conversations, jmo.

I liked Kate in the green polka dot dress, I think it suited her colouring very well. It was also very suitable for the function/visit she was undertaking.
She wasn't on a high profile visit to Ascot, or making an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony, she was visiting sick children, so a low key working outfit was just right.

Just throwing this out there...it is possible to like both the duchesses.