Royal style & gossip: What a smashing, positively dashing spectacle - the Ascot opening day

[QueenOfTheAndals]

Obviously today's the second day of Ascot but given Kate's outfit yesterday, I felt a My Fair lady tribute was fitting!

Link to previous thread

Link to ALL other RS&G threads for anyone who wants a big catch up.

Well it was on every news bulletin I heard so hardly no impact.

Who cares? Siblings who are adults decide to do their own thing. Hardly shocking. Same with moving away from your extended family.

Harry will not do anything to damage the monarchy but if a bit of breathing space helps oil the wheels then 🤷🏻‍♀️

The Fab Four thing was always a press invention - even Rebecca English noted that it was not the Palace pushing that idea.

I don't think it is particularly a clusterfuck, I do think it should have happened way back when W&K married, because it was always likely to be unwieldy to eventually house four separate personalities under the one umbrella.

Plus, it's hardly a shock, is it? This was strongly suggested a few weeks ago when we were told they would be making a decision.

should have happened way back when W&K married

Very true!

I don’t think they would’ve announced all four would work together, and had that press event, only to then reflect that actually oh we work well in two teams.

Just my thoughts, l think it is obvious that something has gone on. Harry and Kate seem fine together , Meghan and Kate too. I haven't seen William with either Harry or Meghan much to be able to say what they are behaving like towards each other but to me the rift seems to be between Harry & William . Quite what has gone on is anyone's business. Someone must know something though and it will out eventually 🙄🤔

It’s clear that for whatever reason the 4 as a 4 do not get along. The dynamic was always likely to change I think when Harry eventually married. But I believe it would have changed with whoever Harry had married.

Curly you hit the nail on the head re Sophie's outfit ' on stilts' first thing l thought was, she looked like a stiltwalker 😊

I think Sophie is wearing some VERY high heels!!

Doesn’t Max look young with her hair down?!

I can’t keep up with the threads anymore 🤦🏼‍♀️ Had a quick glance but haven’t seen any opinions on Kate’s powder blue number the other day.. I loved it, she always looks beautiful at Ascot imo. What was Sophie thinking with the jumpsuit, awful! Some threads back I vaguely remember talk of BRF women wearing jumpsuits and we didn’t think we’d seen anyone in one. Maybe they should stick with dresses. And the shoes look like stripper heels from what I can see 🙀 lovely ring Queen (I saw mention of your ring so HD to jump back for a nosy!) 😍

Sophie has worn jumpsuits before in fairness to her I think that one was it was cape effect on the legs that didn't work.

Kate's dress was split I think some loved it some thought it was an Edwardian night dress so pretty normal 😂

Sophie has worn a jumpsuit before, and a rather décolleté one at that!

I could see Meghan in a jumpsuit actually. A more tailored version of this (with sky high heels, natch!) is very much her sort of thing.

Hah, snap @itswinetime! Great minds and all that...

It would be a real faff going to the loo in some of those jumpsuits.

I've just seen the price of the dress Zara has on. Apparently it was bespoke so probably no change from £900. Not worth imho!!

AhoyDelBoy
You didn't look hard enough - I commented on Kate's blue outfit- I thought it was beautiful but most posters didn't like it.

Yeh I only skimmed through @beanaseireann think I need to go back a thread.. cant believe most people didn’t like it! I thought she looked stunning and loved the colour.

Edwardian night dress 🙀 I suppose the top wasn’t the best part but the skirt was lovely

That white one makes the one she wore this week almost look OK!

I liked Kate's blue skirt but the top was too fussy. A simpler top would have been better. The skirt was dreamy.

Blimey, things are moving fast. I missed most of last thread and you're well into this one.

Queen - LOVE your ring. It's gorgeous. I am sure you're going to love wearing it.

I think Sophie isn't doing brilliantly at Ascot on the style stakes, it has to be said. Eugenie's dress yesterday was better, true. But I don't understand why she hasn't mastered the art of dressing for her shape. All the high necks etc just make her look shapeless. She needs lower necklines and outfits that show off her slim waist. In her wedding dresss I was shocked at how lovely her figure is because we almost never see it dressed to suit it.

I think the Foundation split was probably inevitable when Harry married a woman who wasn't going to sit back and not be in control. The idea that they have different things they can do etc may well be true, but I don't see why it couldn't have been done via one Foundation. However, even though all four names are on it, I suspect William has always been "the boss" - ultimately calling the shots and getting veto rights on what is done/not done.

And Harry and Meghan aren't okay with that. William and Kate have chosen to take a conservative, low key approach. They have modelled themselves very much after the Queen. Harry and Meghan are far happier to be out there making statements in a 21st century version of Prince Charles.

They were there to talk about their specific areas of interest and what they saw their role in the foundation- she talked about the empowerment and education of women and girls. I can’t see what was wrong with that!

Same here. If anything, her comments seemed very mainstream and non-threatening to me. But I fully admit to being a unreconstructed second-wave feminist, and of course, I'm American so perhaps I saw this through a different lens than many others did. But it's sad if those comments were seen as out of place or controversial.

I think some of it boils down to their internal perceived status.

Ultimately Kate and William rank higher than Harry and Meghan.

Look how Edward, Anne and Andrew are viewed now. They are expected to be silent workhorses. Their children are seen as hangers on.

It wasn’t that it was controversial, just her tone I found overbearing. She hadn’t even married Harry and was very new to it all. it wasn’t a forum for her personal opinions, it was the launch of a joint initiative. Considering the Queen heads the RF and she’s a woman it jarred a bit.

Thank you @Queen and @itswine ... told you she had form @managedmis 😜.

Would it be wrong to acknowledge Wills' birthday on this forum and this really cool gesture today from him to NZ PM Jacinda Adern's baby Neve, who shares a solstice birthday with him?

These toys are iconic in New Zealand. I can't think of an equivalent, but every kiwi baby gets one - including mine, who were born in Australia. FWIW, I might even still have my own.

I am including a pic of William with Di and Charles, and his Buzzy Bee, in NZ in 1983 , in case it helps - coz I think this is ❤️

(William famously - to kiwis of a certain generation, at least - took his first steps at this photo shoot in NZ. There used to be a kiwi or two on these threads - hoping someone will turn up to back me up today)

AhoyDelBoy

I commented on Kate's blue Ascot number - I thought it was divine.

Agreed on the approach - it’s not what H&M were campaigning for (really very good causes), but that inevitably they aren’t going to be top billing in the family in future. You can’t have four people at the top (plus all their kids). They can still be popular without being king :) But the royal focus continues with W&K, that’s the nature of hierarchy.

It’d be slightly ironic if H has a problem with hierarchy... given they all only live like this thanks to the privileges enforced by a hierarchical system that benefits that family above all others...