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.

Happy Anniversary one and all!

I've just rewatched the interview beats doing the housework and I don't think MM did anything wrong, although I can see why some people (ie the press) thought she did, and agree with the posters who say that 'people' don't like confident women. I think the fact that she was capable of 'hitting the ground running' has somehow been translated as pushy/over confident which is a huge shame as she's got the right 'work experience' in charity work etc and being used to press attention and so on, that being able to slot into the RF should have been seen as a huge advantage.

I also agree with posters who have commented on the dynamic between W and H.....William definitely likes to put Harry in his place from time to time, albeit in a jokey way, and I think any tension is between the boys rather than the girls. It just seems a bit daft that after such a build up the foundation has floundered so quickly, and it does make a mockery of much of what they discuss in the interview about there being strength in getting people with different opinions together to work towards a common good and being able to have a larger impact because of it.

That's my tuppence worth anyway. Back to housework I go......

Did you spot the alleged eye roll @frugalkitty??

It’s very strange that the horsey gene doesn’t seem to have been passed down. I know Harry plays polo, and one of the others drives, I think. But nobody after the Queen seems to take pleasure in horses or would go for a quiet hack like she does/did. Horses are another prop for adventure sports, like windsurfers or helicopters to them.

“Did you spot the alleged eye roll @frugalkitty?”

Isn’t it funny how the alleged eye roll is seen as a mark against Meghan, rather than against the eye roller!

Interesting that Harry said something about them being “stuck together for life”....Or the next 18 months- whichever is sooner.

@BertrandRussell, surely Zara got the horsey gene? And Louise has been pictured rising with HM as well as carriage driving.

Isn't it just! Though I highly doubt Kate would've been that rude in public.

Watching that video of PA 's wedding to her second husband i was quite shocked by the lack of attention she gave her dughter .

Sophie and Edward and their children ride.

Happy thread-iversary! I really love a daily read of these threads with a cup of tea.

The Yorks ride too, there was a photo posted on a past thread I think, of all 4 riding out at Windsor sometime last year.

I'm the queen of eye rolling but no, I didn't spot Kate doing it.

@Curly that photo was quite scandalous in its time, as I recall. Is Tony Armstrong-Jones sitting on the loo, as reflected in the mirror? Quelle horreur!

Surely the horsey gene has passed down to Anne (an Olympic rider in her own right), and then Zara? Albeit, Zara's dad is horsey too.

And extra horsey genes to Lady Louise and her carriage driving. For the rest of them, it does seem to be at that aristocratic/polo/fund-raising/Trooping the Colour kind of level.

Interesting about Kate having been pregnant or just post baby for much of her married life, I hadn't totted it up, but of course it's true - and hardly surprising as she married at ~30ish.

Meghan too, I suspect, will have a very brief period back doing royal things before more maternity leave etc again. Given her age (and my assumption she would like more than one child).

Surely the foundation was always going to split as the two boys married and settled into their roles? It feels to me like it was a way for them to channel something of their mother's work and learning about their roles. They added Kate, which kind of worked, but then Harry became a spare wheel. Roll in Meghan and it's huge and cumbersome - plus needing to split the future king and his wife from the not-future king and his family,

(Phew - that got long! A day out of the loop... Thanks to anyone who read to the end!)

Happy Thread Anniversary to Queen and everyone else. Amazing to realize that it has been a year. Time does indeed fly when you're having fun.

Lately, I have been shopping for something to wear to a big family wedding. I haven't found the perfect frock yet, but everything I try on, I see though the lens of critiques on these threads. Does anyone else do that? I think it has made me up my game in the style stakes.

@peridito Isn't Anne's own father supposed to have said "if it doesn't fart and eat hay then she's not interested"?? But she and her children seem to have a good relationship, and she strikes me as the sort of grandmother who isn't particularly into babies but takes more of an interest when they're old enough to ride. In fact there's probably no higher compliment than Anne offering to teach them how to!

Anne broke protocol by taking Zara to Ascot when she was only eight. I have a feeling that gesture is more illustrative of their bond than whether Anne was paying attention to her at her second wedding.

There's an item on Blind Gossip that reckons Meghan & Harry will be hoping to add to their family soon
blindgossip.com/faster-baby/

BG were spot on with this blindgossip.com/fast-baby/

The photograph of Margaret in the bath is usually shown cropped to show only Margaret, but it's much more rebellious when shown fully with AAJ's naked feet and legs adding a frisson of daring!

It reminds me of the famous photo of Lee Miller in Hitler's bath in his Munich flat.

I expect that story is right. BG usually is. Maybe she can 'recycle' the clothes to gain points in the Daily Mail?

In any job it is wise not to go in all guns blazing and I think that's where MM has annoyed people. She's joined am organisation where only the main role gets an opinion. It must be a tough concept for someone not brought up in the family and from a different country too. Both Margaret and Andrew struggled with it so it's no surprise Harry is too.

I thought the main role (Queen) isn't supposed to have public opinions. Isn't that why Charles gets criticized? Because he has opinions and states them?

That's what I meant Seneca, as in gets to do the speeches and is in control. And yes even Charles is criticised for speaking out because it's not his turn yet.

I don't think @AnneEyhtMeyer was talking about public opinions, Seneca.

Cross post.

Yes and that too @Myimaginarycathasfleas. Only one per generation is in the lead role.

peridito
I thought exactly the same re Anne and Zara. I was going to post but I felt other posters would be down on me like a ton of bricks.
Just a teeny tiny bit of interaction. Gobsmacked. It's not how I ( or others I know well ) parent.
However they seem to get on really well now so obviously it worked for them.
I got the exasperation Andrew had with his Granny
At least she waited for the step. Mine wouldn't have 🙄

“I thought exactly the same re Anne and Zara.“

Yes- me too. That very odd arms length non-Interaction some posh people seem to have with their children. It’ interesting that one of the things that seem to have baffled the RF about Diana was the way she was with her children.