Royal style and gossip: From foundation to Foundations...

[QueenOfTheAndals]

I've lost count of how many threads we've had! Previous thread.

Let's keep the gossip lighthearted and, as always, stick to critiquing the clothes rather than being overly critical about the women wearing them.

Meghan photographed inside Vogue.
However was at the smartworks office so £2k Gucci dress was not the best choice.

but their PR Director is Hillary Clinton’s former Campaign Advisor who you’d think would know what she’s doing! Hillary’s campaign was a complete disaster,
Meanwhile the Brexit guy managing the Cambridges is doing an excellent job,

^
Completely agree @queenofarles

The list came from a residents meeting discussion though, not from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Vogue have several pieces about the September issue online. I didn't realise it was Peter Lindbergh who did the photography, he's been behind some of their most iconic covers. I don't really have an issue with the Gucci dress. It's Vogue - she was hardly going to wear Zara!

I will be on my way back from holidays this weekend so fx the airport shop has a copy.

I am trying so hard to be open minded about H&M but I can't believe that they didn't know that the "privacy" briefing was taking place.

I'm not sure the PR team should be taking the blame on this one. It chimes with "we should respect their privacy" (said by M in the engagement interview of the friend that introduced them, as if anyone would care), the non naming of the godparents, (again, why?) and the Wimbledon cordon.

Don't mistake me, I think it's a completely reasonable aspiration that people will respect your privacy and leave you alone when out and about, but utterly tone deaf to actually call people together and tell them what they can and can't do in that context.

I don't think they called people together especially for it, apparently it was at local residents meeting which I assume happens with some regularity.

@trixiebelden77 most of the women on the cover are much more than 'just models and actresses'. One model grew up in a refugee camp, one started the GURLS campaign etc. They are inspiring women

I’m slightly boggled by the reported rule of not offering to babysit. Did
a. Someone think it was likely that a random might offer to babysit, or
b. Did someone actually randomly offer to babysit?

If a, why would anyone think that a realistic prospect? ‘Oh hello, multimillionaire and extremely famous neighbour with hot and cold running staff on tap - if you ever fancy a date night [I imagine a nudge and a wink being inserted here] here’s my mobile number, WhatsApp me and I’ll keep an eye on your very new baby!’ Really?

And if b, who the hell does that?! Oh hello, multimillionaire and extremely famous neighbour with hot and cold running staff on tap - if you ever fancy a date night [I imagine a nudge and a wink being inserted here] here’s my mobile number, WhatsApp me and I’ll keep an eye on your very new baby!’ Really?! Really?!!!

Back to the wedding, I noticed that the dress was designed by Pauline Ducruet who I think is the grooms sister

Sorry meant to include this

I think Kate was very smart to wear casual clothes on her Vogue Cover.
The worst she could accused of is boring.
I think she was asked to be on the cover of a Vogue when she first got married but she refused.
Meghan wearing a £2k brand new Gucci dress to a charity (smartworks) which provides second hand clothes to women returning to work sends completely the wrong message.
Vogue would not have forced her into the dress; Meghan or her ever present PR advisor should have thought about how that would look in a magazine.

Meghan and her team are constantly blurring the lines between multimillionaire celebrity using publicity / demanding privacy and a Royal Duchess using her (publicly funded) privilege to promote good causes.
Which is she? I think the Sussexes need to pick a side, because trying to do both is not working.

Charles & Diana’s wedding 38 years ago today

Some of this expressions, especially Charles at the Altar, pic 3; are really telling given what we know now.

Gosh I have vivid memories of watching the wedding, horrified to think it was 38 years ago! It was a beautiful sunny day, we had to close the curtains to see the tv properly. Looking back on it now, Diana was the same age as dd2, it seems absolutely crazy.

Alexandra Shulmans book about her year as the editor of Vogue during its centenary year has a lot about Kate's cover which was shrouded in secrecy. There was a lot of back and forth between KP and vogue about what she would wear, Kate's team definitely had the final say. I think vogue would have preferred her to be more fashion forward but they took what they were given. Of course it's all changed at Vogue now, different editor and very different magazine but I would think the Sussex team would still have had made the final decisions on the project.

There was a program about Alexandra’s Shulman Kate cover, very interesting.

Kate wore a mixture of expensive and high street clothes.
The cover was about vogue centenary and the national portrait exhibition, so it wasn’t actually about anything other than vogue and clothes.
I remember reading Kate actually wanting a country relaxed chic look and worked with the stylist , looked very plain!

Also have read it wasn’t that successful
So maybe Megan’s will be more of a hit.

I have nothing against Meghan wearing expensive clothes while promoting smart works. She wears expensive clothes all the time. But I can see how it can send some mixed signals about how expensive clothes are the only way to success.

That neighbourhood briefing story was ridiculous. Some random staff member most likely stood up to give some guidance, possibly even asked by people at the meeting, and it all got completely out of hand. And then someone at the event decided to tell the story to the press. It's this kind of thing that makes me so crazy because it's like a perfect storm of ridiculousness - the situation was silly in the first place, then it's taken out of context, then someone with an ax to grind takes it to the media and then the media blows it up into a ridiculous storm.

I tell clients who are doing TV interviews that live is better, even though it scares them. Because I've seen too many clients get stitched up when a relatively innocent question is asked and half their answer is edited out or something and it suddenly looks awful. One memorable occasion, the client answered a question along lines of, "can you tell us exactly how x works (very technical question - think CEO of a firm building aeroplanes or something being asked how the welders work) and he said, "No, I can't give you the details but Dave will talk you through the science..." Which dave then did for a minute. The report just aired the, "No, I can't give you the details," part.

I think a Vogue cover is one occasion where you can go big on clothes - there are lots of British designers who could've been promoted in Kate's photo shoot, and, given the centenary and NPG exhibition, some gowns would've been amazing. Instead it looked like a shoot from Good Housekeeping!

IIRC the last time Meghan paid a visit to Smartworks she wore a £100 maternity dress which is a good balance. The Gucci is probably because it's Vogue, not that we can see much of it. Anyway I'm more interested in what's between the pages - the profiles of the women featured on the cover look interesting, as do the features on Michelle Obama and Jane Goodall.

@threadneedle That sounds like an AIBU in the making "I want to choose my own wedding dress but DP is insisting his sister designs it"!!

To me, Meghan wants to present herself as a rich celebrity who is still ‘down with the people’ . I imagine she models herself
On Amal Clooney or similar. In America wearing very expensive designer clothes to denote status is what you do.
Only her role is completely different as a member of the RF.
I find it completely offensive that she’s promoting a clothing charity for poor women dressed in a Gucci dress.

That photo of Charles @CurlyWurlyTwirly- my gosh he looks stricken.

It's just a snapshot of one small moment though. There are probably just as many of him smiling, if you look for them!

Yeah, there's no doubt Meghan has extremely expensive taste and has done since the start of The Tig. Probably before, but couldn't afford it. She went to a good school and has been surrounded by people with wealth from an early age. And in the US it does matter, these clothes and all the outward signs of wealth.

Remember her "Sayonara Zara" party?

So is it any wonder she as spent £100,000 on clothes so far?

Mind you, Kate has too. Probably quarter of a million at this stage. But in the early days, 2012/2013, it wasn't like this and we all know she likely wears the same navy jumper over and over in private.

Going back to Kate and her literal dressing for a moment. I really hope she doesn't wear jeans for her sailing thing. Denim, especially tight denim, and water really do not go.

She's done sailing events before - hasn't she always worn her skinnies for them?