General News for the Duke of Cambridge 1: April 2012-March 2017

[Skippyboo]

The only time the press does not complain is when the Cambridges go to Balmoral. Apparently Scotland in a 19th century castle is the only acceptable vacation spot.

 

[TLLK]

I don't actually think it's a bad thing that he took this trip, I just think it's bad optics. If he had come back slightly earlier and he and Kate had attended the service, no bad headlines would happen.

Yes I agree it is bad optics, but the Cambridges were never scheduled to attend the Commonwealth service. I believe it they were not scheduled because he would have to work around his EAAA duties and the upcoming Irish Guards/Paris events.

 

[Curryong]

There are always bad headlines with royals. Look at the Kensington Palace story. It's completely untrue. Nothing to do with William and Catherine but it doesn't stop the press.

The press just doesn't like it when the Cambridges take a holiday. Harry's been on three this year. Just got back from a week in Jamaica. Not really a peep from the tabloids.

Please don't drag Harry into Cambridge threads, Rudolph. Harry has not had three holidays, the trip about Verbier on NYE was fiction. Harry went off to Norway with a few mates over the new year period. He has been to Jamaica for a few days to celebrate a mate's wedding.

There seems to be a real resentment expressed by you that Harry somehow always receives special treatment in the Press compared to the Cambridges. You know that isn't true. There have been countless occasions in Harry's life when he has been harshly criticised by the media.

As for this ski trip of William's, I think you will acknowledge that the tabs would certainly have approached this story in a different way had William taken Kate away for a weekend skiing.

It's the report of Aussie blonde babes nearby, the long lunch with them and his mates, the description of the drinking in the bars and dancing afterwards into the early hours, (with the inference that those girls may well have been with them in the club) that has been an absolute gift for the tabs, especially the accompanying photos.

It's this that has lent the prurient air to this article, which is exactly what the newspaper wanted.

 

[Rudolph]

^^^

Harry went to Norway. A hunting trip to Germany and Jamaica. That's three.

As for the Aussie blonde, the DM article states "her boyfriend Aaron Goodfellow said he was also present as the prince enjoyed drinks, calling the royal a 'great guy' and 'very down to earth'."

So I'm not sure where the scandal is.

 

[TLLK]

The only time the press does not complain is when the Cambridges go to Balmoral. Apparently Scotland in a 19th century castle is the only acceptable vacation spot.

Yes that appears to be the only acceptable time.

CP Victoria and family were on an extended family trip for nearly two months. She was still on maternity leave and as a mother I can understand their desire to enjoy this time with Estelle and Oscar while they can. They will never have these years with their small children again. She is after all the direct heir to the throne. However the third in line to the British throne goes away for short break with his family or his friends and the monarchy is doomed.

 

[Curryong]

There were TWO Aussie blondes at Verbier, and Harry wasn't away for more than a couple of days on his hunting trip. Hardly a holiday!

You know very well how British tabloids operate, Rudolph, and what impression they like to create for their readers. No scandal, they wouldn't go that far. However, this article clearly implied 'A boys trip, ho ho' wink wink,' complete with photos of Aussie models in bikinis. If Kate had been there there would have been a completely different sort of article written.

 

[Rudolph]

There were TWO Aussie blondes at Verbier, and Harry wasn't away for more than a couple of days on his hunting trip. Hardly a holiday!

You know very well how British tabloids operate, Rudolph, and what impression they like to create for their readers. No scandal, they wouldn't go that far. However, this article clearly implied 'A boys trip, ho ho' wink wink,' complete with photos of Aussie models in bikinis. If Kate had been there there would have been a completely different sort of article written.

TWO blondes? Well, it must have been a party to remember. Three married men, one blonde with her boyfriend and another friend.

I'm just waiting for the naked billiards photos to emerge.

 

[Skippyboo]

Tom Van S was there too. He's divorced so he probably called dibs on the extra blonde.

 

[soapstar]

In their articles, both the Sun and the DM focused on the blonde model. They even published her modeling photos and made a big deal of reporting how she and William talked and shared a high-five. Now it comes out that her boyfriend was there too. Oops. There goes their story.

 

[Curryong]

There were clearly two blondes referred to in the article and they were in the photos.

The tone of the article was certainly not admiring that (a) William was not present at the Commonwealth Day commemorations and (b) that he was enjoying himself a lot in the company of males and females at a luxurious ski resort instead. That was the implication, and the DM was successful in conveying it.

That was the point of the DM publishing it without a doubt and I dont think it would be regarded by KP as good publicity for William.

 

[soapstar]

Yes, but the article focused on Sophie Taylor. She's the model and the one with the boyfriend. Here's the Sun article. Notice that the headline is not about both women, they are clearly trying to link William with Sophie.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3083045/prince-william-ski-holiday-sophie-taylor-verbier/

Now that it's been revealed that her boyfriend was there, the Sun and DM articles look silly.

 

[DeeT]

^^^

Harry went to Norway. A hunting trip to Germany and Jamaica. That's three.

As for the Aussie blonde, the DM article states "her boyfriend Aaron Goodfellow said he was also present as the prince enjoyed drinks, calling the royal a 'great guy' and 'very down to earth'."

So I'm not sure where the scandal is.

Harry's hunting trip was reported last year, so he's been on 2 reported trips. Potentially he, William and others in the RF could have been on more trips that just have not been reported to the general public. There are numerous days when members of the RF are not seen.

 

[Rudolph]

Again, you can't skip something you were never attending in the first place.

Using that logic, Harry skipped the reception at BP last week to go to Jamaica.

The blonde model with the boyfriend also works at the restaurant where the group had lunch.

Pretty tame stuff.

 

[Curryong]

Not to DM readers (if they can read) as many of them seem to skip the details in the story line and take more notice of the headlines and photos if you scan the comments area. To the DM and other tabs it's the overall impression left by a story that matters.

 

[miss whirley]

Anyways, I'm more side-eyeing Guy Pelly. He said he couldn't go to Skippy's wedding because his wife might have a baby soon. But then a week later he goes on a guy weekend trip to verbier. It's seems like a diss to Skippy.

 

[Skippyboo]

It is a way shorter flight back to the U.K. from Switzerland than it is from Jamaica.

 

[miss whirley]

​

It is a way shorter flight back to the U.K. from Switzerland than it is from Jamaica.

Yes, but it's still a pleasure trip. But now a week closer to her due date, increasing the odds she'll go into labor.

The tabloids shamed William for going all the way to Missy Percy's wedding a month before George was born, "He better have a helicopter on standby!". Imagine if Catherine was due "any day now", and William went on a ski holiday with friends. It's a little sketch from Guy.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

CP Victoria and family were on an extended family trip for nearly two months. She was still on maternity leave and as a mother I can understand their desire to enjoy this time with Estelle and Oscar while they can. They will never have these years with their small children again. She is after all the direct heir to the throne. However the third in line to the British throne goes away for short break with his family or his friends and the monarchy is doomed.

Haakon and Mette-Marit also went on a two-month vacation in 2010/2011 and they were (rightly) heavily criticised by the press/experts.

If William and Kate had gone on a 2 month vacation, the British press had gone through the roof.

Many believe that the Swedish press is tough with the SRF, but that is completely wrong.

As I have said on several threads, the British monarchy is the safest monarchy in the world.

But what had happened if the Queen had said some of the things that Carl Gustaf has said over the years?

Answer: The press would have made her life a living hell (as they did in 1997) and the United Kingdom would have been the United Republic.

The same would have happened in Norway and Denmark. I remember that the Norwegian press/experts said/wrote (in 2011) that Carl Gustaf should be forced to abdicate, and that the Swedish press should take their gloves of.

 

[Dman]

The man is enjoying the slopes with his friends. Trust me, William isn't doing anything wrong.

The Cambridge's wasn't scheduled to attend the Commonwealth service so they skipped nothing.

 

[Skippyboo]

We don't know her due date or if Pelly even likes Skippy.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

The man is enjoying the slopes with his friends. Trust me, William isn't doing anything wrong.

The Cambridge's wasn't scheduled to attend the Commonwealth service so they skipped nothing.

Totally agree! And this is soon forgotten. The press is busy with the brexit/scottish referendum thing.

 

[miss whirley]

We don't know her due date or if Pelly even likes Skippy.

When Pelly was a no-show at the wedding the tabloids called him for a comment, this is what he said~

His wife Lizzy is expecting the couple's first child at any time. Guy says: 'I am gutted but I need to be by my wife's side'

 

[Countessmeout]

Yeah, either his wife is even closer to popping or spreads given birth. The latter of which would IMO be worse, leaving your wife and newborn to go ski. Either way, makes his excuse to miss Jamaica seem weak. He better have had a private jet on stand by. May be closer than Jamaica but doubt Lizzie would soon forgive him if he missed the birth of their baby as he was on a chair lift and didn't get the call right away to get back soon enough.

 

[Dman]

Totally agree! And this is soon forgotten. The press is busy with the brexit/scottish referendum thing.

Yeah, we don't have to worry about the Cambridge's. They're independent people, there's years of built trust and we know those two love the crap out of each other.

 

[royal rob]

General News and Information for the Duke of Cambridge

William was never due to attend this year. In 6 years they have attended twice. It's always a different mix of royals



It's impossible to 'skip' something you were never attending in the first place.



The Cambridges seem to be the only royals that can't even have a 2 day ski holiday without it being a federal case.



The press is never happy. They didn't even like the fact they went on a honeymoon.



They gave up going to Mustique with the Middletons. The last holiday they went on was last summer.

I don't think it's him taking a couple of days off to go skiing that people are talking about it's the timing and the company he kept. Not many wives would be happy about that. I agree with previous posters why didn't someone tell him it's not a good look.

 

[Skippyboo]

Company he kept? Three of his closest friends including his two best friends who are godparents to Charlotte who had lunch one afternoon with a woman and her boyfriend and another female friend . The boyfriend who said William was a great guy and very down to earth.

 

[Lady Nimue]

I find this story amazing. It is a 'family business' that depends on 'image'. One hopes (because it is, after all, hereditary, so there is a strong element of 'luck of the draw'), one really hopes that the designated heir shows some innate leadership characteristics relevant to that 'family business'. In this case some savvy regarding 'image'. It's a subtle thing when you think about it but absolutely key to success in the 'image' business.

Personally I don’t care if he attends the service or not, but man, these people have THE worst PR advisers of all time. .

Agree 100%. I am sitting here amazed. (I think the English word is 'gobsmacked').

Agreed! I dread to think what reputation the monarchy will have when it's his turn. :-(

Good point.

Agreed. I don't think it's a big deal but it gives the people who dislike him a ton of ammo, and gives the tabloids an opportunity to speculate on his marriage.

I'll say, but even if Catherine said okay (and I don't for a minute think she has that kind of 'power' in her marriage JMO) I question any man who would so easily disrespect his wife to the world. Remember what his line of business is: image.

Now this may be far more innocent than it appears: a 'night out' really, and what wife would not say okay to that? (Especially when the 'old guy' sees his brother kicking up his heels in Jamaica, maybe the wife actively shoos him out the door ). But....it's not that, it's the lack of care in a situation that demands attention to the niceties of the myriad details regarding 'image', far beyond his wife, his father, his grandmother, an institution he has agreed to be part of, if only by default.

I can be convinced otherwise, but right now it strikes me as the oddest thing. Optics? Reputation? State of marriage? Why even allow it in through the cracks? Wait until next weekend. Color me:

 

[HRHHermione]

revious

I mean, my husband went on a ski trip just last weekend with two of his buddies. (I normally would have gone too but I have an injury from earlier this ski season)

I was totally fine with it, and I think Kate probably was too (and I do think she has power in her marriage)

But the optics are bad. For PR purposes, at this point in his life, William should stick to family ski trips. (His friends are mostly married. They could bring along their wives and families too)

 

[royal rob]

Company he kept? Three of his closest friends including his two best friends who are godparents to Charlotte who had lunch one afternoon with a woman and her boyfriend and another female friend . The boyfriend who said William was a great guy and very down to earth.

Well I have to say I never thought that highly of William and Harry's friends MO
Someone should have considered the look of it

 

[Skippyboo]

Here's the article from last year's ski trip with the kids and Kate from the Daily Mail. It's mainly complaints.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tte-long-weekend-French-Alps-ski-holiday.html