Royal style and gossip: new year, new thread

[QueenOfTheAndals]

Previous thread.

And let's stick to critiquing the outfits rather than the wearer!

That piece by Salute Hughes is excellent. As someone who has removed myself from my birth family I can totally relate to it. My decision, and for the best, yet still, despite having my own wonderful family, Iwas tearful and upset on Xmas Eve. I think this Xmas must have been extremely difficult for MM. I can't imagine how tough her year has been and I agree that PH must be livid with the press and it's easy to see why.

Oh lord, did you have to remind me of the Tampax Tapes? Wasn't it bad enough at the time?

She put me in mind of phone sex workers, working hard to stroke the egos of the inadequate ... "you're so good when people are so flattered to be taken into your confidence", "I think you've exhausted yourself by all that hard work" and begging for a copy of yet another self interested speech

I wonder if she's regretting it all now, given the time she spends apart from him at Raymill and the increasing number of engagements she misses?

I had a black satin Fergie bow. Did anyone else have the bows you could clip on to the front of your shoes????

Just went back and read the Sali piece. Spot on as someone fully estranged from one family member and attempting it on another by stealth it IS painful it does hurt, you are filled with wishes it could have been different but also an awareness that there is nothing else you could have done differently. I guess that's why I empathise so strongly with Meghan here and have no time for Thomas

Because as I said to my DM about the Markles

"That's exactly how X and Y would have behaved if I had married royalty or celebrity"

My Mum AGREED and one of those two people is her own child. Narcissists will make anything about them.

I had clip on bows for my shoes frugalkitty.

In my graduation photograph (1983) I have a Diana hairstyle (but dark brown) a pie crust blouse with a little bow, a full skirt and flat black patent leather shoes with bows. All the women graduates seemed to have this look!

I remember that look, my DM had a green one!

Great name @TSSDNCOP

year yes, but on the day you receive/buy the scarf it doesn’t occur until you’re fiddling about trying to put it on the back/bottom of the scarf arrangement.

Then I remember, and invariably snip a teeny hole in the seam trying to get the label off.

You see from my angst I am literally shoulder to shoulder with poor William on the scarf front.

Thank you harebell

We have to admit we know nothing about what is really going on in the RF. It must be excruciating for them knowing the paps and public are speculating and judging when most likely all the so-called information that is being discussed is all wrong.

Meaghan cannot defend herself and has to stay schtum so all the absolute worst instincts of the tabloids to blame women for everything is projected onto her. It's as if Harry has no mind of his own and she is evil incarnate. So ridiculous.

Imagine (instead of being relaxed and happy curled up on the sofa) knowing you have to spend Christmas morning presenting yourself to the world, I bet PW and PH absolutely detest it as we know how much they hate the tabs. Most likely that is the No 1 reason for the moody faces and fidgeting.

On the steps of the church they must be facing banks of photographers plus the crowds of eager onlookers all with their phones out. It's probably their least favourite.

But their alternative Ida is to abdicate, leave the royal family. They don’t either out of a sense of duty or because they want to be there or for some other inexplicable reason!

They need to meet their public otherwise the public will start to ask more vocally why we pay for them. A walk to church in return isn’t much to ask. (Apart from their loss of privacy).

posted too soon!

Photographers, largely from tabloids they despise and who are writing malicious stories about them and their wives, rather than because they have fallen out within the family.

Argh, and now my first post isn’t there!

It started:

Ida, I agree with you - if William and Harry look grumpy when we see them, I imagine it’s because if there are photos of them, it means they are looking at a huge bank of photographers....

And television crews most likely

Yes exactly, Ipromise. I’m always a bit shocked when I see a pic that shows the press/TV pack and remember what the RF/celebrities are facing when we see pics or coverage of them.

I know if I was facing that I would probably fall over and at the very least be making some self-conscious Fergie-like faces. I certainly wouldn’t be looking as poised and relaxed as Kate etc look most of the time.

IPromise you're absolutely right. The RF are only in their position as long as we tolerate them. Maybe that's why Catherine and Meg as outsiders are acutely aware of that and remain on their best behaviour, while those born to the gilded cage feel more ambiguous.

Although I think we all have sympathy for the Princes as in some of their most emotionally vulnerable times we have basically forced them to be on display, such as at their mum's funeral. We don't tolerate anything other than a modest and tasteful bearing too. Woebetide any royal who is silly (Fergie), arrogant (Andrew) or silly & arrogant (Edward at "It's a Royal Knockout").

We (in the form of the press which we all consume) are quite abusive and controlling.

I may be wrong but I don’t think there are banks of cameras and reporters awaiting the Royals on their exit from Church. Maybe a few and, of course, the public

HM seems to have managed well, all these years. They have to make a decision about the press, privacy and how they want to lead their lives. Harry could have told Meghan that she would be of interest and face press scrutiny - her ethnicity, occupation, background, previous marriage etc have made her very different to any other royal bride. They're going to have to be a tough couple to weather these storms.

TSSDNCOP I can see that and hope your angst fades soon .

One of documentaries on the RF and the media claims that things got a lot more instrusive and frankly, nasty, when Rupert Murdoch bought The News of the World and then The Sun. As well as introducing Page 3 and other delights he had no deference for the RF and changed how they were discussed in print, crossing lots of boundaries that were there before. That's where a lot of animosity toward the press grew from in the RF, they had to learn to cope with a very different attitude from the tabloids, I think that definitely affected PC particularly, in that he lived through that period of change. For the Princes that's all they've ever known.

I do think you're right Hairydilemma and it must be very hard to handle knowing right in front of you are photographers whose pictures will potentially be used alongside copy viciously attacking your wife. In the meantime you are only allowed to smile and be gracious in response.

I saw an interview where a journalist was very surprised to find PH had read everything he'd written and that Harry reads everything about himself and now, I expect, Meaghan. This can't be good for his mental health and could explain his recent lack of joie de vive (which of course has been blamed on Meaghan).

It's Meghan, @IdaBWells, not Meaghan.

Thanks to following all of these threads recently I too have been dreaming RF. It's made my sleep much more varied! More style, please. I'm a fan of the headbands - it's lovely to have a little variety.

Perhaps Catherine is one of the only women in the world that can actually get away with wearing those headbands. Quite a fashion coup

Sorry, yes I knew it was spelled differently but screwed up! I couldn't remember and didn't check, I'm in the US and it can be spelled very creatively here!

Please can this thread never end. It's brilliant! It's not hard to see why Chelsy and Cressida ran a mile eventually. Who could cope with that degree of scrutiny. Knowing your entire body language and interactions with others from the RF would be dissected in the tiniest detail would hardly make you relaxed walking to/from church. But Meghan is a bit of an enigma. So supremely confident giving speeches (eg. at the British Fashion Awards) but she does seem quite uncertain and a bit nervous when with the royals. Hope the new baby will relax Harry and Meg and get the media off their backs.