Royal style and gossip: photo calls and tennis balls

[QueenOfTheAndals]

Everyone ready for a joint Wimbledon Duchessing?

Sigh.

Not that I really want to be commenting on this kind of ludicrous scrutiny (again - I do not blame William in particular for keeping his mouth shut in public if at all possible...and here we have proof of why it’s not a bad strategy)...but...

Let’s remember that she was speaking as an American black woman, to an American black man. It’s not unthinkable (and to me quite obvious, frankly), given the context of what Pharrell had just said to her, that she might have been speaking in a wider sense against the background of the kind of racism that evidently is still quite present there.

And that’s all I’m going to say on that.

If she means the press then it's not their job to make it easy to anyone.

If she means the Johnny Public, then that's a bit tone deaf. Hope she doesn't.

It wouldn't even have occurred to me that she meant the public, it's fairly clear that she would mean the press, although I can barely hear what she's saying in that clip.

The Sun will just use it as another stick to bash her with though, and of course the more brain-dead members of the public will continue to buy their narrative 🙄

“They”
The Press, the Royal Family, the public, her family, white people......who knows what she meant? Whichever one she meant - she’s right, isn’t she?

Us. She means us. On this thread. Criticising her clothes, personality, hugs, hair, everything.

I love the hugs, but then again I loved the bananas. Diana was a hugger too.

I set up these threads mainly to discuss style, with the occasional segue into gossip and/or history. Reminiscing about the days of Diana and Fergie, the Queen Mum and the Duke of Windsor etc.

I think it's gone a bit too far when Meghan is criticised for every little thing - really hugging? And not just Meghan of course - Kate comes in for criticism for being too thin, although this thread is nothing like the one set up to discuss her thinness.

Let's try and stick to fashion and harmless gossip shall we? And not believe everything the Mail or Sun print!

Diana was forever hugging people. Some people are just huggy types!

Well said, Queen.

The header does say Royal style, gossip, photo calls and tennis balls as well. So some folk take it that they can gossip

I can report I’m watching the 38th international circus thing from Monte Carlo and i see their royals applauding away. (I’m watching it on the telly obv, am visiting Paris dontchaknow and there’s not much else on haha.) They are definitely wearing clothes. But the Ukrainian lads doing acrobatic things just now where shirtless and pretty amazing in a rather homoerotic way.

I don’t see anything wrong with criticising the clothes but I draw the line at personal criticism. However the royals are immensely privileged & I think criticising what they say or do is in some instances right. They cannot have it both ways - adoration without criticism. Nothing wrong with hugging either!

I take the gossip part of the title to be gentle gossip. Fancy jewels, finding a tiara shop nearby, where did Sophie get that lovely bag and does she ever get the urge to throw out Edward's double created suits (that sort of thing). Not skinny/fat-shaming, pregnancy rumours or complaining about hugging.

That's fair enough @justasking111 and a bit of harmless gossip is fine. But when people are criticised for hugging and the worst possible spin is put on everything they do then it's gone a bit too far.

So exactly what can we talk about on here?

If Kate said "they don't make it easy" would we be allowed to comment on it?

If Charles said it? Would it be worthy of remark then?

In saying that perhaps a forced stitledness is the price you have to pay, how is that a criticism? It is!

That's fine too @GotToGoMyOwnWay, I'm happy to criticise the royals too but I'll do it to all of them. Meghan being criticised for saying "they don't make it easy" pales in comparison to the DoE's gaffes over the years!

And the DofE has been criticised. I think the queens mantra of ‘never complain/explain is a good one.

But I too like the gentle gossip & history, as I find that the most interesting.

It's one thing what you say in public, another what you might say to friends behind closed doors, bearing in mind that said 'friend' will probably blab to someone. She really needs to wise up fast.

IIRC there was a time when MNHQ wanted to move these threads to the Royal Family topic. I think I'm right in saying that people argued that these threads were primarily about style (in terms of percentage of content) with gossip/history as asides and thus should be allowed to stay. At that time it was true and all was well. It was a faff though.

So. Yeah. If the threads end up substantially more about gossip than style they're bound to be moved. That'd be a shame.

I’d have thought she means the press? Even if she meant the public, I’d assume all the royals feel the same. Not bothered by it :) I was the scrooge who didn’t like the hugging, because it causes confusion in future as to who gets a hug and who doesn’t (bar kids). It’s not exactly code red, I just thought it was an odd choice for a couple who are essentially diplomats. I don’t read the DM but assume they’ve run with that idea too? Often on these threads you guys link to the DM for pics, but then the comments to the articles sound so bitter and a bit weird.

I would suggest... maybe we don’t read the Fail? It seems a lot of negativity comes from there - a lot of the press are critical, but the DM seems fairly obsessed with only being critical (to the point where they focus on the ridiculous). They sound weirdly critical of MM, and then use Kate to make it seem like there’s some big rivalry between them. You don’t really see that in other publications.

Then when posters here DO criticise Kate or Meghan or anyone, others assume we’re like the Fail commentators. Or if you say MM looks nice, you can feel people rush to equally rate Kate and vice versa. But for those of use who don’t read the Fail, it’s a bit of a tense situation as we’re not as intense as DM commentators or actually have a clue what they’re saying.

Anyway... we’re also in a run of quiet royal time! Maybe we need to find more royals :) I love the Scandi chat as we have some experts here and it’s so interesting! Wish we had some French royals as then we’d have loads of clothes to chat about :) always think Natalia Vodianova is their version of a princess as she’s married to the LVHM heir but does lots of lovely charity stuff in her own right (plus speaks a dozen languages! And survived a divorce in her 20s with kids): www.instagram.com/natasupernova/?hl=en

I like the hugging and I'm not a Meghan fan. She just needs to persist and we'll get used to her. Harry loves her so who I am to complain.

No-one has criticised M though, have they? I posted a link in response to someone asking what was said. The response on the thread has been supportive of M. It's only the article that was critical.

Camilla in a fab outfit
Bearing in mind she wears a lot of pastel; she really suits black and cream.

Camilla’s stylist is great - she can look a bit samey from time to time but it’s so rare she looks less than good. She also always looks comfortable. And I’ve never seen a bad hat!

If she means the Johnny Public, then that's a bit tone deaf. Hope she doesn't.

Maybe she means the racist cohort of Johnny Public, of which sadly, there are quite a few.