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The royal family

Duchess of Cambridge has written a book

161 replies

Viviennemary · 07/05/2021 15:31

Kate has written a photography book which is to be released today. First I've heard of it. She has left copies round the country with a handwritten note. What a lovely idea. Its already Number one on the bestsellar list. All money to go to charity. Well done Kate.

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Cacacoisfarraige · 11/05/2021 09:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Roussette · 11/05/2021 09:41

Cacacois Ooops, sorry, me and my big mouth, it's well known! 😂

Hope your DD engages again... mine too, although she has a new lurrrve interest so that's keeping her busy !

LindaEllen · 11/05/2021 09:57

[quote Samcro]@DogsSausages yes and been ripped apart for it.
I didn't know Kate was an expert in photography.[/quote]
How can you not know? She has taken many of the photographs of the children that are released to the public. This has been made a really big thing of since they got married and had George.

JADS · 11/05/2021 10:07

This is a cracking project. The photos I have seen are extremely moving and the whole team including the Duchess of Cambridge should be credited.

Lemonelderflower · 11/05/2021 10:09

I’ll buy it for my son who was a ‘lockdown baby’ Smile

castemary · 11/05/2021 10:12

She isn't an expert in photography. She is a keen amateur photographer.

bluebell34567 · 11/05/2021 11:13

the sun shines out of Meghan Markles thread GrinGrinGrin

ohforarainyday · 11/05/2021 11:15

Well I have no problem in saying that this is an absolutely lovely project, and that it's exactly the kind of project Kate should be getting involved with and should be doing more of. I have nothing but praise for the project and her involvement.

However (and this is NOT a slam on Kate but on the behaviour of the press and fans) it is yet another example of the hypocrisy and double standards. Kate's received an excessive level of near-universal praise for a book which realistically she had a fairly minimal involvement in. Meghan wrote a whole book, and has received little but abuse for it (false accusations of plagiarism even after the other author released a statement saying there were no similarities; newspapers trying to coerce published authors into give quotes decrying Meghan for the purpose of inventing material to smear her with; the Telegraph writing that ludicrous article claiming Meghan has single handedly stopped a generation from reading!). It's a double standard, and it's not anti-Kate to point out that Kate is held to such a different standard.

The other elephant in the room. Clearly Kate has a genuine passion for photography and is decent at it. It's not a Brooklyn Beckham situation. But there is another important factor which has to do with money and control. The reason KP has Kate take the official photos of the children is because she then owns the copyright, which means the press don't financially benefit from those photos. It's an old tactic which many celebs use, and which the press absolutely hate because they lose money. Nothing wrong with wanting to own the copyright of photos of your own children, and not wanting the press to financially benefit from your kids, but Kate isn't some ordinary celeb. She's a Royal. The BRF have long had an unspoken "I'll scratch my back and you scratch mine" arrangement with the press, and access to royal children is part of that deal. If you do research, it's insane the ways the BRF accommodate and give the British tabloids special access, and how much they cooperate with the tabloids and try to keep the tabloids happy. I mean Buckingham Palace literally throws special private parties just for tabloid editors and senior reporters. One of the reasons the press turned on Harry and Meghan is because H&M refused to honour this unspoken contract. People sometimes act as though all this royal drama is purely ideological, but really a lot of it is about money. The press lost a lot of money - money they were counting on - over Meghan's insistence on keeping Archie mostly out of the public eye, and believe me they've lost a absolute fortune over Megxit. There's one tabloid photographer who's literally rage-tweeted that he was planning to put his children through private school on the money he assumed he'd make off of Meghan and how he's been financially screwed by her leaving. And right now Meghan's drawing all their venom but in the past they've been hostile towards Kate for the same reason. When KP first started releasing Kate's copyrighted photos, the tabloids responded by writing some very nasty articles about Kate to send a message to her to play along and stick to the deal. Now I have to give the Cambridges credit, they've done a great and very savvy job of walking a fine line between keeping the press happy, and retaining some control. But please remember this is not just a case of some ordinary loving mum who just happens to really enjoy taking pics of her kiddies. It's a calculated media strategy where an entire PR team have actively worked to create this "Kate as a dedicated photographer" persona, for financial and media-control reasons.

TwatWaffleTwinkleToes · 11/05/2021 11:28

@Maireas

That man attending the virtual funeral, it's heartbreaking.
This is the one that got me, too. Him, dressed in a suit in front of his laptop.

Looks like a great book - I'll be ordering.

SueSaid · 11/05/2021 11:30

'Well I have no problem in saying that this is an absolutely lovely project'

Brilliant.

cheezy · 11/05/2021 11:39

I think what @ohforarainyday says is really interesting and informative!

TacoLover · 11/05/2021 11:42

All the posters on here trying to justify whh they vilified Meghan and not Kate by going on about her photography skills when she didn't even take the photosGrin

JingsMahBucket · 11/05/2021 11:46

@ohforarainyday that is a really informative perspective regarding Kate retaining all the copyrights. I never thought of that before. Thanks for that post.

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 11/05/2021 11:48

All the posters on here trying to justify whh they vilified Meghan and not Kate by going on about her photography skills when she didn't even take the photos

No. She didn’t take the photos. But she made it all about everyone instead of just about her.

While others on the other hand...

Mummy194 · 11/05/2021 11:48

Good post @ohforarainyday

ohforarainyday · 11/05/2021 12:35

But [Kate] made it all about everyone instead of just about her. While others on the other hand...

Oh come on. Kate fans and the media are acting like Kate came up with the idea, created the whole thing from scratch, wrote the entire thing, took all the photos, did everything bar manually pulp wood to create the paper it's printed on. All for a project she objectively had a fairly minimal involvement in.

Meghan actually wrote a whole book by herself, and the media/royalists are desperate to diminish and belittle that accomplishment. Can you imagine if Kate actually wrote an entire book? The press would be calling for her to win the Booker Prize.

ohforarainyday · 11/05/2021 12:36

Thank you Mummy194 and you too!

StormzyinaTCup · 11/05/2021 12:42

No. She didn’t take the photos. But she made it all about everyone instead of just about her.

While others on the other hand...

Well said sheldonesque therein lies the big difference.

The book looks lovely and I have ordered a copy.

castemary · 11/05/2021 12:46

@ohforarainyday

But [Kate] made it all about everyone instead of just about her. While others on the other hand...

Oh come on. Kate fans and the media are acting like Kate came up with the idea, created the whole thing from scratch, wrote the entire thing, took all the photos, did everything bar manually pulp wood to create the paper it's printed on. All for a project she objectively had a fairly minimal involvement in.

Meghan actually wrote a whole book by herself, and the media/royalists are desperate to diminish and belittle that accomplishment. Can you imagine if Kate actually wrote an entire book? The press would be calling for her to win the Booker Prize.

Totally agree
Roussette · 11/05/2021 12:54

@ohforarainyday 's post is spot on. Posters need to read it.

While others on the other hand...

But where? MM released a book. How in god's name can you sell it without it being talked about? Should she release a book but then ban anyone from talking about it?

I honestly don't know what people expect.

Roussette · 11/05/2021 12:56

And that comment about Meghan destroying reading for a whole generation by the Telegraph was awful.
Two days later they did an about turn.
Not surprised. There was a backlash against that crap

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 11/05/2021 14:08

Did I say M couldn’t talk about her book? No.

Did I say she couldn’t publicise it? No.

Did I say people couldn’t talk about it? No.

Did I criticise her for publishing a book all by herself? No.

Did I actually say Meghan or Harry? No.

Don’t put words in my mouth please.

The book that the DofC is choosing to champion is about other people.

I see nothing wrong in that and can say as much. It was extraordinary times with extraordinary ordinary people doing the best they could.

I would totally celebrate that. And will.

EdithWeston · 11/05/2021 14:40

To add to what ohforarainyday said, there was only a brief time when it was a free-for-all for any photographer. Aside from public photocalls (eg hospital steps) or antics of the paparazzi (look where that led), it has been a 'closed shop' for trusted photographers only. Just look at the number of pix, dating back to the 1950s which were taken by either Lord Snowdon or Lord Lichfield.

Given the circumstances of their mother's death, both Princes have been highly averse to intrusive photography and the pursuit of image that will sell for big money. A photographer lamenting the 'loss' of what he hoped to make is not going to get a sympathetic hearing

Roussette · 11/05/2021 14:45

Fair enough sheldon.

Happy to apologise. But can you explain what you meant by 'while others on the other hand....'

Who are 'the others' and what did they do? Because... if I jump to conclusions, I like to understand why I have.

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 11/05/2021 14:57

I don’t think there will be an outpouring of sympathy either.

Both princes are entitled to flaunt or hide their offspring as they wish. They can take their own photos or use their own photographers as they wish.

It is kind of different for their spouses. Beautiful royal women are always going to be snapped.

It is a shame neither have the right to privacy although no one really does. It is infuriating that someone can snap away at you without as much as a ‘that’s ok’.

I don’t let my family snap me but strangers think it is ok to wander around near my workplace and sneak photos.

And that is irritating. But not nearly as irritating as it must be having it 24/7/365.

And I have the luxury of going out as I am in a state of mess without some cruel git splashing it all over the press.