Royal style & gossip: from christening gowns to tennis lawns

[QueenOfTheAndals]

Previous thread

And I think we all can agree that it's much more fun if we stick to critiquing the clothes rather than the women!

Camilla also had a past - I.e she was not an unsullied virgin.

And, probably even more importantly, she was a catholic. At the time (indeed, until about 2013), it was unthinkable - and unconstitutional - for an heir to the throne (and future head of the C of E) to marry a catholic.

“Camilla also had a past - I.e she was not an unsullied virgin.”

Please tell me that was said with irony.....

Charles married Diana because he needed a virgin with a blameless reputation and she fitted the bill.

It was said in reference to this, as much as anything.

I think you know as well as I, @Bertrand, that according to the values of the time, the heir to the throne needed an unsullied bride.

I didn't say it was a value I endorsed .

Camilla was never catholic. APB was as were their children

Camilla had a past!!, Great double standards. A woman has a 'past' like this is something unclean. I would be very surprised if Charles didn't have a 'past' too.

I am not sure that Diana was totally stable, with or without the royal family.
didnt i read that she wept buckets when Charles went away on an engagement.
that she went to a lets not call it special, but a small independent school, her family background, ie, her mother, didnt exactly sound homely.

www.britishroyals.info/diana/biography2.html

My apologies @Inniu ... I always thought she was. But you're right.

Just her racy past that ruled her out then!! 😁

I think is more than speculation. The actress Sarah Miles, who was a very close friend of Dale Tryon, seemed fairly certain of it in the documentary I watched.

I wouldn't be surprised if Camilla ruled herself out because she didn't want to be the 'royal wife' however much she fancied Charles.

People always cast the women as desperate for the 'in' but i'm not sure she was.

Looking again, I totally blame the photographer. He is out of his depth.

Even MM makeup is bouncing off the flash.

The placing of guests makes no sense at all. Surely Charles next to Harry & Doria next to MM? And centre the couple ffs.

William back centre and his aunts to one side, Camilla and Kate to the other.

“Surely Charles next to Harry & Doria next to MM?”
That’s what I thought. Very odd indeed.

Snippet from the Mitford letters where Debo describes Diana PoW to a sister:

But then Debo very fond of Charles.

Well, the Mitfords would certainly recognise mad when they saw it.....

Debo's husband was serially unfaithful. She followed the aristocratic code to the letter. That doesn't mean I didn't admire her. I did.

Haha, I know, they would!

The worst/craziest thing about the letters is how sweeeeeeeet and charming and kind and thoughtful sister Diana is, had to keep reminding self of the beliefs she was absolutely passionate about! Eg holocaust vv exaggerated, fascism really rather fun and kind.

The only thing that I was glad Diana Mitford was blisteringly honest about (on desert island discs etc) was how charming and charismatic she found hitler, because so many other accounts were a bit like, ‘ well obviously I knew there was something OFF about him from the first minute etc etc.’

The reality is that there must have been very attractive qualities about him to make him able to be such a pied piper of evil to so many, and we need to admit this so that we recognise it when we see it. But I’ve only ever heard Diana Mitford say it out loud. So many leaders, good and bad, lean heavily on their own charisma and charm to bring people along with them.

Pips look nice. A lovely Stella dress. Those shoes would have me break my ankle though. Her hat looks a little small too.
DM link
Pippa Middleton and James Middleton go to Wimbledon a week after Kate
mol.im/a/7224273

Anyway enough of my family history- I was just trying to explain about different expectations.

Pretty low expectations

Whilst I wouldn't for a minute disagree with what you're saying GotToGoMyOwnWay (and your family sounds fascinating by the way), I think Diana was out of step with that sort of thinking and was more modern than that. I imagine she was caught up in the whole excitement of it but I believe it's generally accepted that she had cold feet by the time of the actual wedding. I'm wouldn't deify Diana for a minute but I do think she was dealt a harsh, if gilded, hand.

Wow, Pippa REALLY looks like Carole these days. And James, why have you been raiding Edward's wardrobe??

Love the pale pink on Pippa (my fav colour) and the high mules but i wouldn't call her ''perfectly polished'' - DMail's words. I think her hair looks a mess!

Pippa looks nice - I like her shoes. I don’t get those hats though! Meghan was wearing a similar one.

I think Pippa looks quite nice, but I don't like the clunky gold chain fastening at the neck, or those shoes with that outfit, and the hat isn't right either! 7/10

I don't like it all together but each piece is nice. She should lend her sister those sandals. I think it's very hot and sunny and you're in direct sun with no shade hence the hats.

Love Pippa’s outfit. The shoes would annoy me; slap, slap, slap with each step.
I don’t know whether Pippa has ever been as immaculately coiffed as Kate.

Looking at Pippa’s ( not cheap) but off the peg dress; makes me think that Kate gets even her RTW clothes further tailored; they fit so perfectly.