Unpopular Opinion - William and Kate

[EdaYildiz]

Don't come at me, I'm sharing my unpopular opinion because I want to know what you all think but just don't see a spark between William & Kate.

Loved them since the day they starting dating way back when they were undergrads at St Andrews but I just don't see their connection in pictures and it seems a little forced when she has her hand on his back or when they do hold hands.

I don't expect them to hold hands and snog because I know they're mostly photographed whilst they're working but he looks bored and she looks like she's trying her best.

Does anyone agree with me?

William doesn't control the purse strings, Harry has inherited millions. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to be willing to live within his means, so 'needs' - or wants - more.

I think it's become very clear since they left, though, that the half-in, half-out option would never have worked, particularly seeing what H & M have got up to since!

TBF I think they've seized the initiative from a weakened 'firm' and are operating pretty much as they intended albeit at an arguably lower level than originally envisaged.

I'm quite interested in why their antics are tolerated unopposed. 'Never complain never explain' is wearing increasingly thin IMO.

I think it is more ‘give him enough rope’.

Out of everyone, the RF will know exactly what H is like.

I am not sure that M features enough on the radar to worry about.

I think, years before Virginia brought the civil case, she had made a statement in which she said that Andrew was not unpleasant and he just said, "Thank you" and left the room. But that's a de-railment so it will probably have to go.

They always seem like a real unit together to me. In public they need to perform to an extent.

"Never complain, never explain" has served them very well.

What's Bouzy up to atm, anybody know?

@@CathyorClaire
"TBF I think they've seized the initiative from a weakened 'firm' and are operating pretty much as they intended albeit at an arguably lower level than originally envisaged."

They no longer represent the RF or the UK Gov. One can see that they did not want to operate within those rules. Hence Meghan wearing inappropriate clothing. ie wearing a backless/braless dress to a teenage school, and then immediately going in to hug officials. Poor man, he clearly did not know where to put his hand.

To someone else, who said how odd it was for his brother to control the money, etc.
In Landowning families, it had always been the case that the eldest son inherited the estate. The second and third sons went into the army and church.
Daughters were given something when they married.
I said earlier that Meghan's American background may have hindered them. This is something that Americans may fail to understand; that in landowning families, whether it was 50 acres, 500, or 50,000 acres, it usually went to one heir.
The Gov may have made changes so that daughters can inherit, but there is still nothing to stop anyone from leaving their estate how they want.

M hugging that man was awful. I don't know wtf goes on in that woman's head. There's apparently no regard for etiquette or protocol or cultural norms.

Looks like he is tweeting about the US presidential farce and trying to push people over to his cute little platform with links.

It’s like trying to sell your own stamps in the lobby of the post office. I’m amazed X allows it but then clearly it’s no threat.

@Rhaidimiddim Bouzy’s account has so many pinned tweets at the top that it’s difficult to see the latest except through a search engine. Any idea why so many H&M cohorts do that? Scobie and Nacho also have what appears to be dozens dating back years and mostly about H&M. None seem pin-worthy today.

"TBF I think they've seized the initiative from a weakened 'firm' and are operating pretty much as they intended albeit at an arguably lower level than originally envisaged."

There's no initiative to seize. They don't represent the royals and they have no royal role whatsoever. They can act as if they do but that makes sod all difference. Everyone knows they're out.

All they can do is embarrass everyone with their antics.

What's Bouzy up to atm, anybody know?

Thank you to @AliceOlive for clueing us in, but TBH I'm more interested in what's happened to Scobie's obsessive coverage; I'm told he's not even mentioned H&M since May, and even that was in a dry, straight reporting style

Without any way of knowing I honestly wonder if the palace have frightened him off after the naming of Charles and Catherine as the "royal racists" in his book - an allegation so serious that I'd be more surprised if they hadn't acted

Possibly the Dutch translators frightened him off? If I remember correctly, the journalist who broke the story auctioned off his copy of the Dutch translation to set up a legal fund.

I didn't realise Omid had gone silent ! Did he not cover the Nigeria holiday?

But thats a good point @Puzzledandpissedoff wonder if he received a cease and desist lawyers letter and a threat of a defamation lawsuit. Madame Macron is suing two people for defamation through the French court for their claim she was born a male. The racist claims are equally as bad if not worse.

I'm told he reported in a purely factual way that they were visiting Nigeria, @TheDom, but missed off the usual overblown flannel, sycophancy and sniping references to others

All of which is why I wondered if he's been squashed by someone much cleverer than he is - which admittedly wouldn't be difficult

Edited to add I didn't know about the Dutcch translators' legal fund, @BemusedAmerican, but I doubt they could match the clout of the palace when it gets going in its own defence, and anyway they wouldn't need to if it was already being handled by skilled lawyers

My overall point though is that while few with sense would normally take notice of his ridiculous ramblings, hitting senior royals with such an accusation may have been biting off more than he could chew with folk who could flick him aside like an insect

hitting senior royals with such an accusation may have been biting off more than he could chew with folk who could flick him aside like an insect

I'd like to see someone do that to Scooby. I'd love to think he got a 'put up or shut up, insect' letter.

I just think Scobie has been cut off at source, the book was a damp squib, he lost quite a bit of the credibility he had left. He’s served his purpose, he probably saw the finally writing on the wall when people magazine became the go to for exclusives.

She simply refused to return them.

There's no initiative to seize. They don't represent the royals and they have no royal role whatsoever.

They were explicitly told no 'half in half out' but they've traded on their titles, bought themselves gongs, flaunted their charitable credentials and gone on faux-royal tours and jollies. Basically flouted every part of the agreement they made when they huffed their way out of the door.

Darling boy is running rings round Pa in an even more blatant way than he managed with Gan Gan (bad enough) and while everyone can of course see their circus for what it is the flipside is that it's now gone on so long and is so obviously escalating it's making Pa look weak.

I understand giving Henry enough rope to string himself up or wanting to keep a couple of bridges intact in the event of a slinking back but sitting back and taking everything he cares to dish out on the chin in the meantime isn't, can't be a long-term answer when he's undermining the stability monarchists claim to value so highly.

I agree. Perhaps Charles is too unwell and William is preoccupied with Catherine to focus on what is going on in the enemy camp for the moment.

I don't think he 'undermining the stability'. He has shown everyone who he is, and that his stories are not credible. There are a hard core of supporters, but their popularity ratings are incredibly low. People who do tune in (such as this Forum) mostly do for the car crash, not because they have any significant impact on national or international affairs. They are a real life soap.opera.

if any titles were to be removed the PR would be on overdrive, the narrative of nasty Charles and bully William as opposed to a vulnerable heartbroken family. The royal family are doing the right thing, it’s not really in their power to resolve. Harry and Meghan are playing draughts while the royal family are playing chess. I also agree with @Baital harry and Meghan create noise, but that’s all it is at the moment noise.

If they were half in, they would be invited onto the balcony, to Trooping the Colour etc but they aren't. They can do as many faux royal tours as they want, buy awards, put their titles on everything etc but none of it is important politically or culturally to the life of a country.

I think that the Royal family have decided that letting them get on with it is the best way of dealing with it. They are simply not relevant in political power circles and thus don't need commenting on. If there is a danger people might think they are representing anyone it is squashed by the government as it was in Nigeria.

The government don't comment on celebrities going abroad to represent charities and that is who the Sussexes are now, celebrities with titles who hopefully do some good for their charities but who have no wider power. It doesn't make Charles look weak if he ignored what they are doing, it makes them look irrelevant, because they are in terms of the monarchy (not in family terms of course and I hope there is private reconciliation).

I agree. They are not “half in”. They wanted to do the glamour bits like the ToC and the State Occasions. They are not doing any of these. Yes they may be trying to milk their Royal connections for commercial gain, but it isn’t really working. They are kind of stuttering along in fits and starts, with great fanfare and little substance. They are doing nothing of any consequence

I don't think I've said they're half-in. Clearly that isn't the case.

I do think the taking part in so many poor man's versions of the real thing is deliberately done both to taunt and goad. The incidents are becoming more and more outlandish and the palace lying supine is increasingly inexplicable.

There's even a link to the Harolds' self promoting website on the official royal site. Why?!