Royal style & gossip: down with fleeces and double-breasted suits!

[QueenOfTheAndals]

Previous thread, complete with our acronyms.

I liked the outfit Kate wore (culottes etc) and having seen her live (on video, not in person) I think it looks even better with some movement to it. Fresh, trendy, and suits her nicely. I like seeing her in new adventurous outfits.

Kate used the word kiddies when asked about Harry and Megan's new arrival on a walkabout in Leicester.
The Erdem look takes me back to the 70's too, more of a Laura Ashley/Boho look not and very regal but infinitely better than the beige Massimo Dutti horrors! neither the colour or the shape of the outfit do anything for Kate.

I think when she wears trousers, they really draw attention to her absolutely tiny pelvis.

Don’t get me wrong, I think she is stunning and I love her style and charisma and think she’s doing an amazing job under scrutiny.

Can’t help noticing the teeny waist and hips though!

Kate’s accent is minor public school. It’s exactly how just about everyone who goes to Marlborough, Millfield, Stowe, Wellington etc speaks. The first flight schools (Eton, Winchester, St Paul’s etc) have a harder-to-place accent, perhaps because the children are usually more academic and recognise that a neutral accent allows greater code-switching than a self-consciously “posh” one.

Poor Kate’s clothes are ghastly and yet she has the figure of a supermodel. If you look at pictures of her dressed in her ‘civilian’ clothes in her early twenties, she seems most comfortable in androgynous clothes. I think she needs to embrace the French fashion editor look rather than the John Lewis Everymum style.

“Kiddies” is a word lampooned by Betjeman and therfore considered a bit infra dig, like fish knives

I think she needs to embrace the French fashion editor look rather than the John Lewis Everymum style.
French editor as in cropped skinny trousers/ jeans, skinny belt and half tucked shirt look?
Don’t think that’s Kate style . Isn’t it a bit outdated too?
Really she dresses fine, looks very well put together and is comfortable in what she wears. It’s not my style but I think it would be boring if everyone follows a certain look.

I don't think the Erdem was dreadful, and it's nice to see her in a softer look, but It's a bit meh. Much too seventies for me. Having said that, I remember how popular Laura Ashley's dresses were so I can see that to a younger eye they might appeal when it's first time round.

I think some of you are being a bit mean about Kate's accent. Most of us only hear her when she is speaking publicly or being interviewed. She clearly isn't comfortable and her words tend to disappear. I'll bet she sounds entirely different when she's relaxed among friends.

It's also my experience that men do sound a lot less 'posh' (hate that word) than women wherever they went to school, it's all part of bloking themselves up. Girls just want to fit in with their peers.

mumfom you are a hoot. “Minor public school” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Poppy Delavigne went to Stowe as did Richard Branson, neither of whom sound like the DoC.

👑 👑 👑

-Kate sounds like every other person who went to public school. It isn't grand or put on.

She most definitely has had voice coaching. She doesn’t even sound like the rest of the Middletons and sounds posher than both William and Harry!

The word ‘kiddies’ is used by some people around here - not a push area! I find it patronising and grating too. It’s on a par with saying ‘moo cow’ instead of cow or ‘beddy bye bye’ instead of bed!

• not a posh area!

I don't think Kate is putting on her accent, but she is harder to understand than the other royals. I think it may be nerves. And the Queen sounds much less posh than she did as a young woman. Supposedly she is an excellent mimic and good with accents so I think that has been intentional or perhaps a result of that accent itself changing through the years. Charles sounds posher than the Queen to my ears.

There's a of Princess Margaret on YouTube and her accent is very much like HM's. Nobody really talks like that anymore!

mumdom is hilarious. Particularly the "more academic" bit

Photo from LGW's wedding

And of course all the 'top flight' schools only admit boys...

Nice to see Princess Alexandra next to PMoK there - I wasn’t sure if she was at the wedding. I haven’t seen any offer pictures of her there - guess she just not one of the heavily photographed ones!

Actually there are many top flight schools that are girls’ schools, training leaders and achievers rather than well-spoken nice gals who dabble in art dealing or interior design before marrying well. Also schools such as Westminster which take girls in the Sixth Form.

Two of my nieces attend one of the non-academic schools I mentioned - they are absolutely lovely personable and capable girls, but they’re not going to make great lawyers or politicians so it’s just as well they’re being groomed to be socially astute.

Ah, now I understand mumdom Yes, Wellington School is a minor public school whereas Wellington College is not 😉

I was thinking Emmanuelle Alt, who is Kate’s height and colouring, queenofarles. I don’t think she’s wearing skinny jeans any more!

Alas, poor Wellington [

I actually think the reason Kate is quite hard to understand is not so much the accent, as the tightness of the jaw. When she talks she barely opens her mouth and it ends up sounded a bit muttered.

I always wonder if she gets headaches as she seems to clench her jaw so much.

That said, I saw a video of her chatting to people in the crowd on a walkabout and her whole voice was much more relaxed so I wonder if she just gets very tensed up for formal speaking and it changes the whole sound.

Yes, I agree part of it must be nerves. It’s not a natural way of speaking. I think she’s trying so hard to sound “terribly, terribly” as my own mother calls it (ie.posh) but combines it with sounding as sickly sweet as possible. That recording of Princess Margaret is interesting because, yes, she sounds very well to-do but also entirely natural and not at all “sweet”.

I don't think she has a put on accident but think she does get terrified talking to the camera/ giving speeches. I'm like that, I feel like a bunny in the headlights and my voice changes because of it which frightens me more tbh. It's a catch 22.

I do think she sounded like she really cared about the subject of getting kiddies outside. finally I have an excuse to use the term kiddies instead of DC on Mumsnet🎉

*accent not accident!