Royal style: who needs an Indian summer when you can have a Pakistani autumn?

[QueenOfTheAndals]

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And the countdown to the Cambridge trip to Pakistan begins!

According to the Mail today, Beatrice isn't interested in a big wedding and is looking for a smaller more personal venue we'd better still get some pictures though

So much catching up to do!

Bit convenient that Bea wants a small wedding.

I don't think that's up Bea really!

I bet Kate has just clicked on Leti's dress in pale blue...

@StCharlotte I was thinking it was quite similar to her Ascot dress.

Extent of the RF’s wealth
DM link
New book coming out showing how much the RF benefit from their private estates; exemption from Inheritance tax. Offsetting of subsidies for non working family members against tax.
Princess Margaret was worth about £20m when she died; and the QM £70m. Neither paid death duties.
The duchy of Cornwall is worth one billion.

I will say; now that there are no bullying pieces about a particular royal in the DM (the court action appears to be very effective.)
It is very eye opening to see the results of the more balanced reporting across the whole RF, from the MOS.

I thought that that was interesting too Curly. Almost Republican in nature.
A very interesting read.

Just read that article. Interesting that it's often mentioned on these threads that the fashion worn by the RF will not be freebies from fashion houses, the article says:

"But the Royal Family can accept any free holiday, free use of a castle, the use of a private jet, a luxury car or designer clothes... all without any requirement even to record these gifts (although official gifts are recorded)."

I would hazard a guess that a large proportion of fashion worn by the RF are either loaned or freebies from the fashion houses in return for the publicity.

That's interesting @FATEdestiny. I wonder how the story about them not being able to accept freebies came about then?

Now I think about it, it's obvious they do get freebies of lots of things. Elton John's holiday and private jet for M&H springs to mind as an obvious recent example.

I wonder how many of DoC's St Patrick's Day identical green coat dresses are one-off loans for publicity? Given the lack of repeats and rewears yet they are all so similar, it makes logical sence.

I wonder how many of DoC's St Patrick's Day identical green coat dresses are one-off loans for publicity

She gets them altered to fit her perfectly. I doubt she returns them.

Did you see Leti wore the chiffon dress yesterday that Kate has in baby blue. Leti wore it in pink and without the bow tie.. IMO it looked so much better on Leti, not least because it hung off Kate in a very unflattering way and Leti’s figure suited it so much better.

I don't like that shade of pink at all, although it suits Leti's colouring.

I'm really looking forward to some evening wear!!

The only place I can think of that came up with the story about them paying full price for clothes is the Daily Mail, who forever say it's in 'the Royal Code' whatever that is.

But seeing as the Daily Mail also witter about the Royal Code also including what lipstick colour they can wear, the wearing of nude tights on all occasions, never wearing one shoulder dresses and all kinds of crap they seem to have just made up that morning I don't know why it should be an accurate source of information.

No major celebrity pays full price for anything and someone like Meghan or Kate who is bringing in masses of business for designers they use regularly certainly won't be.

Oh, if it’s the Daily Mail it’ll be. Story about Kate frugally borrowing clothes and Meghan profligately buying them......]

Even if something is altered to fit Kate; the publicity of her wearing it even once is worth the cost. Especially with something like a st Patrick’s day coat, you will see the ones for the 5 preceding years in the same article. Ditto Remembrance Sunday coats.
I wonder if they even pay full price for their wedding dresses?

Wedding dresses I doubt they pay full price the amount of people that see it especially Kate and Meghan I would think there is a token payment but it won't be anything like the real cost. I imagine the same goes for most of the bespoke items I doubt the royals pay anything like what you or I would for the same outfit. But I agree with pps I doubt any celebrities do. The exposure is worth way more to the brands than the cost of an outfit. The off the rack highs street stuff is probably about all the pay full price for otherwise if word got out I imagine they would be inundated with 'gifts' from the shops in the hopes they would wear one item. But I guess even that might be freebies.

I have a friend who is a designer - she sends various things to Kate and they get sent back as they aren’t chosen - but apparently a designer she knows has had dresses accepted and later worn and receives full payment for things that are kept. Pippa ALSO gets sent lots of clothes and has definitely kept things and worn them without paying for them (like any celeb I guess) but I don’t know if she sends the ones she doesn’t wear back though!

I imagine the RF gave to be very transparent and have to pay for items. Obviously they accept flights/private holiday islands but from people they have a relationship with. I wonder what they offer in return? A couple of nights in a castle doesn’t sound too appealing in comparison to a private island for a week or two!

• have to be

@AlwaysOverworkedUnderpaid you could see her bra straps in several of the photos I saw of the warehouse top.

I think Royals get invited to things; just for the kudos they afford their hosts. They do also have wealthy friends.
Kate & Williams Mustique villa from this summer belonged to a property developmer friend of William’s and a couple of weeks later, the villa was on the front page of the DM.
You just can’t buy that sort of advertising.

@AlwaysOverworkedUnderpaid

I very much doubt it will be washed and reworn by Kate!

That was her frugal mode so when she brings out the big guns on tour, there won’t be much backlash!

For anyone who's interested in the photos... James Middleton's interview in this Saturday's Telegraph Magazine. His beard is very tidy!

One more, sorry. I like the outfit in this one. It's very country gentleman chic to my mind (as a city dweller, mind).

I like the first two. To my mind the third one is a style over substance coat- no good on a really windy day- far too big!