The sudden unusual turn on Princess Kate

[Whatt]

Today, I wanted to share something thought-provoking that has caught my attention recently - a noticeable change in the way the media portrays Kate Middleton.

Some publications that previously showed favor towards Kate (DM cough, cough) have started publishing stories that present her in a more critical light. It's an interesting shift.

Firstly, there's a story circulating about an encounter between Kate and a convicted murderer at a charity event. Additionally, there's talk of the taxpayer potentially providing support for her family's struggling business. This raises questions about the circumstances surrounding their business venture and the implications it may have for public funds.

What's intriguing is the parallel being drawn between Kate's current media treatment and the scrutiny faced by Meghan Markle in the past. It's worth discussing whether there's a connection or simply a coincidence.

Furthermore, there's some buzz on Twitter suggesting that Kate may have unintentionally upstaged the King during the Chelsea Flower Show. While it may seem like harmless gossip, it's interesting to consider the impact of such events on the monarchy's reputation. Some even speculate that Camilla might have been involved in the leak of these stories, adding an extra layer to the intrigue.

Taking a step back, it's worth pondering whether the monarchy should be concerned about being upstaged in this day and age. Are we witnessing a shift in priorities and expectations?

What a sad reflection on the world that someone posts an enormously long and detailed post, apparently delighting in the failure of a business that employed real people. A business that failed because of a pandemic that killed thousands of people. All to throw shade on their daughter.

I completely agree, @polkadotdalmation .

Completely agree

@polkadotdalmation exactly. As @AliceOlive said - it actually shows more about whoever highlighted all the bitchy bits than the Middleton's.

A couple of friends of mine had businesses that failed in the last few years - mainly due to the pandemic - they left creditors owing money. The pub my son worked in closed in 2021. It reopened under new owners the same year and closwd again in 2022. Its not a reflection on anyone other than the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns and changes in the way people shop and socialise impacted the hospitality industry especially hard.

To gloat about a failed business is beyond tasteless

A lot of businesses don’t last as long or make as much money as theirs did. A sad end due to unforeseen circumstances but not a failure.

Exactly this.

I wasn't being bitchy at all. You can go back in this thread to late May/June when many articles about Party Pieces collapsing came out in the Daily Mail and I actually defended them (I also have my theory on who's behind those articles but that's another story).

While I respect the Middletons a lot more than the RF (they actually worked for their money to provide a great life for their children), like it or not, this will reflect badly on them and Kate. They're not regular people who just lost their business due to Covid, they're parents-in-law to one of the most senior members of the RF. People will judge, no matter what as I have seen in article comments section and on social media

What kind of person believes it reflects on Kate?

How many threads gloating and delighting in the various perceived failings of Meghan and Harry have we had on this board? Nobody cared when Spotify cancelled a podcast that employed people. That was an opportunity to stick the boot in. Which has carried on and on for weeks and includes discussions on things that haven't happened but have been offered up as possible scenarios. The hypocrisy on this board is off the scale. If you think it's bad to gloat when someone's work or business suffers challenges, that should apply equally to everyone.

Yes, lots of businesses are failing and it's awful. I closed one of mine, my main source of income, during the pandemic. I didn't personally stay wealthy while I left unpaid debts though, like the Middleton's and many other wealthy people who had the taxpayer support while living in mansions with even wealthier relatives. That's the part they should be criticised for. The business failing is a fact of life for entrepreneurs, but leaving debt and keeping your own assets is immoral IMO= regardless of how many people do it.

When a business folds, everyone loses out. The owners do not retain all the benefits of a successful business. It doesn't work like that.
@Iwantcakeeveryday As you admit that post was gloating and delighting in a failed business venture in a most unpleasant way, and with the ulterior motive of casting shade on their daughter.

Meghan and Harry's deal with Spotify failed because the couple didn't put in the effort and create decent content, not because of the pandemic. The two situations are not comparable. It wasn't Spotify cancelling the deal that made people unemployed, it was H&Ms own lack of output.

Party pieces didn't close because of the pandemic either. The two situations are comparable with regards to the behaviour of posters like you who delight in the failings and even imagined failings of one couple, while chastising anyone who does the same to the Middletons. The Middletons remain extremely wealthy while other businesses they owe money to are in trouble and owed money. You shouldn't support wealthy people owing less wealthy people tens of thousands of pounds. Its weird to be so defensive about multi millionaires.

You have absolutely no clue what really happened with the Spotify deal and what contributed to it not continuing. Meghan has a history of good work ethic so this constant narrative she doesn't is based on tabloid gossip and one arrogant man who actually never worked with her.

It is hypocritical to criticise posters for discussing the failings of two Middleton businesses- I believe the brother had another one that failed- while spending weeks excitedly discussing the discontinuation of a contract and the imagined failings that haven't even happened. The good thing about the Spotify deal is Meghan and Harry didn't leave owing small businesses money.

Spotify didn’t cancel a podcast that employed people. They ended a contract that was not producing any content.

It’s not even remotely comparable anyway. It wasn’t “someone’s business”. It was a potential stream of income on a particular platform that they’d left largely untapped for a few years. If they actually have a team producing content there are other avenues for podcasts.

I am comparing the behaviour of posters here, which I think is valid. People were let go from Spotify that worked on the podcast division, they let go of hundreds but the story here was solely about Meghan and Harry. Even if it was just about their loss of work, the gloating was insane so I do believe the situations are comparable. Either it's ok to do it, or it's not. Since it continues towards Meghan and Harry, everyone else is fair game.

The Middletons clearly have now a number of failed businesses left owing money, including to the tax payer, while their daughter is set to become Queen. It's relevant here and if its ok to do to Meghan and Harry with their projects, it will happen to the Middletons too. The main difference in this case being the Middletons owe us, the tax payer. M & H losing the Spotify contract doesn't affect any of us at all.

You don’t help Meghan by doing the same thing you say you believe is wrong to Kate’s parents. You just add fuel to the fire and justify the behavior you claim not to like.

We can talk about Spotify again if you want.

@Iwantcakeeveryday

We have a lot of clues to what happened in the Spotify deal. They didn't produce content and the man who criticised them calling them 'grifters' did work with them. He says he had interactions with Harry re the podcasts but needed to be drunk to disclose them.

No one wants a business to fail after putting all their energies into making it work. Of course the pandemic affected the business. Parties were banned and they ran a party business 🤷🏻‍♀️

And please don't insult me by saying 'people like you'. I'm expressing a valid opinion, as are you.

I suspect no one here really cares if the Middleton’s are criticized, either. We are just posting our opinions. We don’t have the same attachment that you seem to have to H&M.

So every failed business is a hit on all our pockets and is relevant to Kate how?

If people were gloating about all the Markles’ professional setbacks and saying Thomas Markle’s two bankruptcies reflect badly on Meghan, would you be saying that was reasonable?

The Middletons clearly have now a number of failed businesses left owing money, including to the tax payer, while their daughter is set to become Queen

Agreed.

It's not a good look especially when there are so many questions surrounding how Party Pieces in particular became the runaway success we're constantly told it was and why after years of being a partnership (whose accounts didn't have to be published) it became a private limited company (protecting the Middleton's financial position) relatively recently.

Did Doria also have a bankruptcy? Something to do with the travel industry.

Frankly it's unimportant provided there was no intent to defraud, but whataboutery seems to be the order of the day today.

Basically what your wider family does or doesn't do, does not reflect on you.

What questions are those, CathyorClaire?

Are you suggesting there’s something dodgy about a successful business being restructured as a limited liability company? Does this apply to all business restructurings, or just Party Pieces? Were the Middletons supposed to be clairvoyant in 2019 and so they foresaw the 2020 global pandemic and realised it would be bad for their business?

As I have posted a few times, if you are approaching retirement age and want to sell your business as a going concern, the easiest way to do this is to set it up as a company and sell its shares to the purchasers. Happens every single day to businesses across the world. It’s not remotely suspicious.

And thank heavens for that.

What questions are those, CathyorClaire?

We discussed all this way back when.

I think it's interesting they didn't sell the business as a partnership (which also happens every single day) rather than going to all the trouble of setting it up as a company and you don't.

Little point in rehashing when we're not going to agree.