Kate Middleton Current Events 16: January 5-10, 2007

[KelliB]

I love the royal soap opera!

The problem is, this isn't soap opera, with actors being paid to play a part and with the ability to drop their character and go home at the end of the day. This is real life, and these people are experiencing this terrible treatment really.

 

[Sister Morphine]

Actually I think all the current former commoners/now crown princesses had pretty much the same treatment from their adopted countries' press, and from the public if the message boards/chat rooms are representative. We just don't hear about it since the articles weren't in English! [If you don't believe me go to some of the other sections of this website to see discussions along the lines of: has your (previously unfavorable) opinion of princess x changed?]

All the girls were at some point considered plain, attention-seekers, ambitious social-climbers, pushy, partiers, lacking in glamor or style, and/or just not good enough for their prince. They were all desperate to nab their prince, did anything to stay in their prince's favor (lost weight, changed their style, took up his hobbies/friends, changed their jobs (or got a job in Kate's case), acted sweet, demure and discreet, changed their country of residence), and issued ultimatums.

It's not until after the engagement that they are transformed into wondrous perfect princesses.

Until the paps get bored with that story and it's time to go with the story about the fights, extravagance, impending divorce...

I love the royal soap opera!

Soap opera, yes but it's hardly entertaining. I think that no matter what the person you're with does for a living, you should be afforded some privacy and be treated with dignity, something it appears these women were not. There every move doesn't have to photographed, documented and printed.....everything they wear doesn't need to be discussed, how much they weigh is no one's business. That is one thing about dating a royal/celeb I will never understand. I can see that TO A DEGREE reporting about what so-and-so is wearing or doing is news, but all the time? Constantly? Overkill.

I can understand how in the beginning they might be called gold diggers.....princes are wealthy men, they will be King.....that alone is attractive to people. However, it goes beyond that when it's shown not be true and it's still thrown around as if it were.


They chose the life by choosing to date and then marry these guys, but sometimes I feel the press treats them as if they're suddenly not human anymore and some special breed of people exempt from the treatment you'd give some stranger you see on the subway.

The problem is, this isn't soap opera, with actors being paid to play a part and with the ability to drop their character and go home at the end of the day. This is real life, and these people are experiencing this terrible treatment really.

Amen. Couldn't have said it any better.

 

[sara1981]

Legal position on privacy hardens
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6245879.stm

Ex-royal aide condemns paparazzi
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6245061.stm

Stop harassing Kate, pleads William
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=0RUCO24ICKIRJQFIQMGCFGGAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/01/10/nkate10.xml

Kate runs the paparazzi gauntlet on her 25th birthday
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=427692&in_page_id=1770

William calls for paparazzi to 'stop chasing Kate'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=427605&in_page_id=1770

Photo ban on Wills's girls
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13560800,00.html

William calls for paparazzi to 'stop chasing Kate'
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23381033-details/William+calls+for+paparazzi+to+%27stop+chasing+Kate%27/article.do

'Déjà vu' for prince as Kate faces another media scrum
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=47612007

 

[christinacg]

She's been on the news a lot over here in the States these past few days. She's going global! lol

 

[sara1981]

She's been on the news a lot over here in the States these past few days. She's going global! lol

i agree with you like late Diana,Princess of Wales who been globe on the television since she got married to Prince Charles and media kept eyes of her all the times than anyone i respect Princess Diana

 

[Sister Morphine]

She's been on the news a lot over here in the States these past few days. She's going global! lol

My mom commented on that earlier. She couldn't believe that someone who isn't even royalty yet is making the news over here. I said that Wills is very popular, so naturally if the press thinks he's close to getting engaged, press everywhere will start to pick up on it.

 

[maymayflying]

Happy Birthday!

 

[sara1981]

News agency bans Kate pics
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21037382-663,00.html

Some day her prince will come — with a date
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/some-day-her-prince-will-come-151-with-a-date/2007/01/09/1168104983935.html

Prince's plea to paparazzi
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21037616-2703,00.html

Royals try to shield Kate
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21036396-2703,00.html

 

[foiegrass]

Woah. Deja vu. What happened to Diana 25 years ago is happening NOW. history is repeating itself

 

[Iluvbertie]

Woah. Deja vu. What happened to Diana 25 years ago is happening NOW. history is repeating itself

Unfortunately it seems obvious that the paparazzi and the public have learnt nothing about the way they hounded Diana to her death have they?

 

[Jo of Palatine]

I just had a real good laugh - German media has finally discovered the stories about Catherine. But obviously they don't speak English very well:

That's what AP (Associated Press, an international newsagency) wrote:

Prince William's girlfriend faces scrutiny

By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer Tue Jan 9, 3:22 AM ET

LONDON - She makes headlines for getting a parking ticket, newspapers comment on her fashion choices, and her 25th birthday on Tuesday is generating a media storm.




In the German version (eg printed by leading news mag DER SPIEGEL in its online-edition) they write that Kate Middleton made headlines because she "bought a parking ticket" in the meaning of paying a fee for a parking permission like the ones you get when you enter a car park.... I have to say that not even in the UK happenings like that make headlines....

 

[Jo of Palatine]

I just read at Times Online, why they sent a photographer to Catherine's home and published the pictures even though their mother company News International have banned paparazzi pics (or said that on generating positive publicity for their papers):

"Chris Harris, a senior staff photographer for The Times,was despatched to Chelsea with instructions to photograph the media mob lying in wait for Ms Middleton.
He said: “She appeared in my shots, but at a distance. You can’t tell a picture story without the principal figure appearing somewhere in the image.”

It's from this article: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2539326,00.html

For me this is absolutely hypocritical. He was there, he took pictures and so he became part of the media mob himself. Or does he really think it makes a difference to Catherine Middleton, why he was there?

 

[Little_star]

I find the complaints about the paparrazzi tiresome. Kate is dating the future King of England, press/paparrazzi scrutiny is inevitable and comes with the territory. If she cannot handle it at this early stage then she should end the relationship now, as unfortunately they are part and package of the future.

If she's in a public place then she should expect to be photographed, whether that's right outside her front door or outside her favourite restaurant, it's inevitable. She needs to face up to that very quickly.

 

[Jo of Palatine]

I find the complaints about the paparrazzi tiresome. Kate is dating the future King of England, press/paparrazzi scrutiny is inevitable and comes with the territory. If she cannot handle it at this early stage then she should end the relationship now, as unfortunately they are part and package of the future.

If she's in a public place then she should expect to be photographed, whether that's right outside her front door or outside her favourite restaurant, it's inevitable. She needs to face up to that very quickly.

One simply has to agree with you. One has to see that she handled the media interest in the wrong way: it was definately not the photographers blocking Catherine's way. There was a policeman after all who checked that the media did not block pavement and street. It was Catherine who was aggressively trying to get through the crowd to reach her car.... What a behaviour for a girl who dates the future king of the country with a reknown "queue-culture". Quite pushy, that!

 

[love_cc]

I was very surprised to see Kate Middleton on SBS international news then ABC news again. I think the media wants an engagement very much but this time we people are more calm. We don't want history to repeat itself and we have enough patience for William to marry several years later. I don't how long we have to live with such a mad status of world media about pushing William's engagement. I hope that the memorial of Diana, Princesss of Wales and the celebration of Queen and DOE's golden wedding anniversary will help cool this.

 

[Sancia]

I find the complaints about the paparrazzi tiresome. Kate is dating the future King of England, press/paparrazzi scrutiny is inevitable and comes with the territory. If she cannot handle it at this early stage then she should end the relationship now, as unfortunately they are part and package of the future.

If she's in a public place then she should expect to be photographed, whether that's right outside her front door or outside her favourite restaurant, it's inevitable. She needs to face up to that very quickly.

I'm always very surprised how one can in United Kingdom or in USA justify what is for us french an outrageous and intrusive behaviour. The right to a private life, even if you're dating one of the most important man of the country, is something non-negotiable for us in France. What would be tiresome for us is the already-heard-justification "right to inform, right to give information to our readers about private life of public people".
I wonder what can go through the head of the reader who think they MUST be informed of everything a celebrity is doing or saying. I find this very perturbating.

I may be old-fashioned, but I hate this society in which all must be public: the dream of many people is to go at a public show to talk about what is so particular in their lives. And I believe some of these people are simply furious when they see a celebrity doesn't want to do what would be their biggest dream (the success of TV shows like Big Brother is a perfect example of what I'm saying).

 

[Skydragon]

I just read at Times Online, why they sent a photographer to Catherine's home and published the pictures even though their mother company News International have banned paparazzi pics (or said that on generating positive publicity for their papers):

Jo, you are being too critical... they only said they would not buy paparazzi pictures, nothing about not sending their own photographers!

 

[Little_star]

I'm always very surprised how one can in United Kingdom or in USA justify what is for us french an outrageous and intrusive behaviour. The right to a private life, even if you're dating one of the most important man of the country, is something non-negotiable for us in France. What would be tiresome for us is the already-heard-justification "right to inform, right to give information to our readers about private life of public people".
I wonder what can go through the head of the reader who think they MUST be informed of everything a celebrity is doing or saying. I find this very perturbating.

I thought I'd made myself clear, when I refered to public places. I'm not refering to private events.

Her life is still private, we don't know what she did today, who she spoke to, what she ate, what she bought from the supermarket etc. However, she shoudl expect to be photographed because of who she is dating. William is 2nd in line to the throne and our future King. It's not surprising then that some people will want to know who he is dating. So long as peope don't break the law or cause harm in the process they have committed no crime.

Photos and photographers are part of the terrirotry of dating such a famous figure in this dy and age.

Frankly I have no desire to be told everything that Kate is doing as you have claimed, I find her quite bland. Iff anything I hope the press would leave her alone as I'm bored with seeing this rather tedious individual.

 

[tara1983]

has anyone?

Has anyone heard kate talk? has she done any interviews or spoken to the press?

tara

 

[Bia]

She lives alone in Chelsy?

 

[Skydragon]

So long as peope don't break the law or cause harm in the process they have committed no crime.

So you don't think it might be harmful to Catherine, to be pursued in this way.

What about anyone who might also be trying to walk along the road, the pensioner, the woman with a child in a pushchair, who would have to step into the road to avoid them.

How about the way they put road users in danger when stepping into the road without a thought for what might be coming, blocking Catherines view of potential dangers from vehicles or while they are in pursuit of their quarry?

 

[princewilluver07]

Does any one have the Tatler article on "25 things you didn't know about Kate Middleton"?

 

[biboquinhas]

I think the Queen must do something!

 

[Little_star]

So you don't think it might be harmful to Catherine, to be pursued in this way.

Well according to so many of the posters here, she's a strong individual, so if you follow their line of thinking she's managing perfectly ok.

Whether it is or isn't detrimental to her, I, nor you, know. If it is, then she should seriously evaluate her relationship. If she does become Williaam's fiancee and then wife, the scrutiny will be alot worse.

What about anyone who might also be trying to walk along the road, the pensioner, the woman with a child in a pushchair, who would have to step into the road to avoid them.

How about the way they put road users in danger when stepping into the road without a thought for what might be coming, blocking Catherines view of potential dangers from vehicles or while they are in pursuit of their quarry?

That's where my comment about causing harm comes into play. Did I not make myself clear about that?

 

[Little_star]

Does any one have the Tatler article on "25 things you didn't know about Kate Middleton"?

Yes, I have a subscription to Tatler and have on more than one occasion thought they weren't fans of her. Generally speaking it was quite trivial, with questions like what's her favourite drink, where does she shop etc. However, some of the more serious questions seemed to have quite a negative tone to them or maybe that's just the way I read it.

Interestingly they had their "Hot 200" in the same issue, which is essentially a list of the 200 hottest males and females. They have the list every year. Kate was conspicuously absent, although Chelsy, who lives in another country and is infrequently in Britain made the list. Another subtle dig against Kate, I thought.

 

[Judy_PD]

i feel sorry that all these photographers are pestering her just like diana...

 

[Avalon]

closed thread

This thread must have set a new record for Current Event threads, reaching 11 pages in only 5 days!
Time to start a new thread for the Current Events of Kate (Catherine) Middleton, which can be found here.

Thanks to everyone, who contributed to this thread.