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

[Roslyn]

Palace lawyers' legal bid to protect Kate
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=OKMMQ4UWY3DTFQFIQMGCFGGAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/01/07/nroyal07.xml

Good! Go for the jugular, guys.

 

[Frothy]

The Kate - this season's must have fashion accessory

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2132570.ece

Will Jigsaw benefit from having Kate work for them?

 

[Sister Morphine]

I like that William and the palace are trying to do something to curb the excessive behavior of the paparazzi.

 

[Lamyah]

I think the media are hungry for a royal wedding, no matter the cost, they could care less how it comes about. If it wasn't Kate Middleton, any other british girl William was dating will do.

However, neither do I think this hysteria the Middleton have over the few papparazzi is warranted. Let's be frank, the picture Telegraph picked of the late Princess & Kate speak volume, one where 20 camera are flashing on Diana, the other of Kate on the dance floor with Guy Pelly. Yes, Kate is followed by photographers, but I have yet to see the likes of men all over her, on her cars filming her, similar to what Diana experienced from the beginning, not to mention what current celebs go thro on a daily basis.

Another thing, following her getting a ticket story, she requests police officer to escort her to work the next day, then visits buiju night club with William, a celebrity hungout the media is known to stake out. You can't have it both ways, if you want to avoid maximum exposure, then try to lead as normal of a life as possible, avoiding papparazzi stake-out.

 

[Frothy]

Laymah, I would you suggest you read the articles which directly contradict this:

Yes, Kate is followed by photographers, but I have yet to see the likes of men all over her, on her cars filming her, similar to what Diana experienced from the beginning, not to mention what current celebs go thro on a daily basis.

She is indeed doorstepped by 20 plus snappers each a.m., and her car is being tailed to and from work by photographers.

Miss Middleton steps out of her front door each day to be confronted by up to a dozen telephoto lenses, drawn by rumours that she and Prince William are about to get engaged — although their friends say such talk is completely unfounded. While some of the photographers stand on the street, others are hidden in blacked-out vans and still more are waiting on motorbikes, the "snapper" on the pillion. (Last week, for the first time, the bike riders had earpieces and were clearly co-ordinating their pursuit of their quarry military-style.)
As Miss Middleton goes to her blue VW Golf, parked near her home in Chelsea, west London, to make the seven-mile drive to work — she is a buyer for the High Street chain Jigsaw and works in Kew — she is followed by many of the paparazzi in the hope of snatching an unusual shot of her.

 

[Skydragon]

She must love him a lot to put up with this behaviour from the press! It really is time for the police to take action against them!

She may one day be Williams wife, she may one day be a Queen consort, but that does not give anyone the right to know everything about her, let alone chase her through the streets.

 

[Warren]

. ...if you want to avoid maximum exposure, then try to lead as normal of a life as possible, avoiding papparazzi stake-out.

Lamyah, how do you suggest she go about "avoiding paparazzi stake-out" when they are camped outside her front door? Should she instead climb over the back fence?

 

[Duchess]

I agree with BeatrixFan for once. Yes Kate is a private citizen and she deserves her pivacy, but what did she expect. Shes not dating just an ordinary man, she is dating Prince William of Wales heir to the British throne. Kate was pictured with him and at the same events with him. She was well aware of what she was getting herself into. But I do agree that Kate should have some protection just incase if the phtographers get out of hand.

no one here has said that catherine wasn't aware of what her life would be like while dating the prince. i'm sure she knew the press would be at her heels. what people are saying is she doesn't deserve it and no one does.

 

[Duchess]

I come to that conclusion based on the stories we've heard and the pictures we've seen. They have a legitimate reason to photograph her - she's dating our future King - that's a pretty legitimate reason. To royal watchers worldwide this might be a sweet romance, to Britons - this could be the consort to our future Head of State. I kinda think we have a right to see her.

we've not heard a single complaint from her or seen her scowl at the cameras. she has smiled but she hasn't scowled or cried or stomped off or asked them to leave her alone. how in the world do you possibly interpret any of the looks we've seen as woe is me????

 

[BeatrixFan]

Well, requesting police protection is a bit OTT imo. And of course she scowls at the cameras. It's one of her regular faces. She's surly, sulky or we get a half-hearted smile. I don't see why people are fussing over her so much. She's in the public eye, she gets photographed.

 

[Duchess]

Trust me Duchess - Kate's image is being controlled. She couldn't carry on like Chelsy Davy does even if she wanted to. For as long as she remains a possible Royal wife, she's subject to being told what to do, say and even wear by Buckingham Palace. You don't think the Queen would risk having Kate say something silly or give us a flash of leg do you? It's exactly like the studio system and what's more, like the studio system, it stays with them.

oh please, BP isn't controlling her image and they won't until there's an engagement (if there is one). it's still sink or swim for her just as it would be for any other gf. why would she act like chelsy?? she's a completely different person. it's not hard to tell that her personality is totally different than chelsy's.

Kate hasn't always smiled for the press. When she's at her sulkiest, she looks truly miserable. Well, that makes journos all the more determined. We're not asking for her to drop her drawers and sing "Edelweiss", it's just a little smile and a wave. If she does it once a day, she'll get the press off her back and get a reputation for being quite approachable. Instead, we get this, "Oh no! Photographers! Woe is me!" and it's so boring. It gives her the image of a spoilt brat who thinks the world owes her publicity but she doesn't have to do anything to earn it. If every photo is of Kate smiling, they become samey, they lose their value on the market and she'll notice the press drop off in number. By trying to play hard to get, she's starting a very dangerous game.

i don't know how you possibly interpret her photos as being sulky or how she comes across as being spoilt. she has smiled for the press but why would she do it everytime they snap her photo? a smile and wave is not going to get the press off her back...it didn't work for diana, it doesn't work for celebrities and it won't work for her. she's not playing hard to get, she's trying to live her life.

 

[Duchess]

Well, requesting police protection is a bit OTT imo. And of course she scowls at the cameras. It's one of her regular faces. She's surly, sulky or we get a half-hearted smile. I don't see why people are fussing over her so much. She's in the public eye, she gets photographed.

i don't know what pictures you see of her but the ones that the rest of the world sees show a woman that is simply looking at the camera. can you provide a photo that shows her sulking please?

 

[BeatrixFan]

oh please, BP isn't controlling her image and they won't until there's an engagement (if there is one). it's still sink or swim for her just as it would be for any other gf. why would she act like chelsy?? she's a completely different person. it's not hard to tell that her personality is totally different than chelsy's.

Well with all due respect, you're being naive. I said that she was totally different to Chelsy didn't I? Look, Buckingham Palace can't risk another embarrassment. Kate will have been briefed on security, how to deal with photographs, what to avoid wearing, what to avoid saying - that's only natural to avoid disaster. I don't keep any photographs of Miss Middleton on my computer so no, I can't provide you with one but do a Corbis or a Getty search and you'll find hundreds.

 

[Amina]

It seems to me that there must be some rational or reasonable balance though.

Yes, she chose to date the potential future King, so unless her head is filled with sawdust, she knew it wasn't going to be a very private relationship. She certainly must have known that to continue that relationship after St. Andrews it would become even more public, as the Prince's period of relative privacy would be coming to an end. He knew that, he surely shared that information with her, and they made a decision to carry on together. However, the extent to which she appears to be hounded, and I do mean hounded, is ridiculous. We don't need to see her come and go at every hour of every day, and dating William does not automatically equate to relinquishing her basic human rights.

There must be a fine line somewhere of what's a reasonable amount of coverage without treating her (or anyone else, for that matter) like an animal in a cage. We just don't seem to be very good at finding that line and staying on the safe side of it.

I agree with you, there is a fine line between the pap's following someone and harrasment and it seems to me that the pap's on a few occassions have overstepped the mark. Yes she cannot expect not to be followed by the pap's, afterall she is dating a future king. On the other hand she has never courted publicity for herself and she deserves alittle privacy and the right to walk around without feeling harrassed.

 

[Duchess]

Well with all due respect, you're being naive. I said that she was totally different to Chelsy didn't I? Look, Buckingham Palace can't risk another embarrassment. Kate will have been briefed on security, how to deal with photographs, what to avoid wearing, what to avoid saying - that's only natural to avoid disaster. I don't keep any photographs of Miss Middleton on my computer so no, I can't provide you with one but do a Corbis or a Getty search and you'll find hundreds.

no, what you said was she couldn't carry on like chelsy does even if she wanted to you didn't say she was totally different.

i think if catherine was kind of person that would, in any way, emabarrass the palace then we'd have seen it by now. as for controlling her image, as i said earlier that's virtually impossible to do these days as the press is so intrusive that we see public figures in any setting - good, bad and otherwise.

i searched corbis and well honestly i can't find anything with a scowl or a sulk so perhaps your version of a scowl or a sulk is different everyone else's. i did, however, see a number of pictures with a smile and that was on the first page.

 

[BeatrixFan]

I did. I said that she couldn't carry on like Chelsy, NOT THAT SHE'D WANT TO. By which I meant, she wouldn't want to be like Chelsy. Anyway, we won't agree on this one so I'll retreat. You obviously adore the girl, I can't stand her. The beauty of freedom of opinion.

 

[Warren]

Can we move on from Chelsy Davy.
Thanks.

 

[Skydragon]

Yes and up until the police officers, I didn't have the right to criticise. But now they are involved and they costing money and I am paying for her protection so now I do have the right to criticise. Now people's taxes are involved and that puts her in a very different position.

Goodness, does that mean because I had to call the police here, because someone was trying to steal my birds of prey and they 'staked out' the place for a week, that you are now entitled to criticise me?

 

[BeatrixFan]

Come on now - that was a crime. And I'm talking legal matters now. Personally I think it is a waste of police time and I'd criticise you for doing so but thats not what we're talking about! The fact is that legally, stealing someone's birds is a crime. It's theft. Taking a photograph of Kate Middleton isn't a crime, yet police time is being wasted to "protect her" and tax payers money are picking up the bill. Woe betide this girl ever becomes Queen Consort because I'll end up becoming a Maoist.

 

[Skydragon]

It is a crime to stalk, harass, block the thoroughfare/pavement, scare or intimidate any member of the public. It is also a crime to block the entrance/exit of a club or public building!

Come on now - that was a crime. And I'm talking legal matters now. Personally I think it is a waste of police time and I'd criticise you for doing so but thats not what we're talking about! The fact is that legally, stealing someone's birds is a crime. It's theft.

In that case, because nobody had yet stolen the birds, no crime had been committed! I would criticise the guarding/shielding of any 'artiste', now that is a waste of time IMO.

 

[BeatrixFan]

How do you know that the photographers haven't got permission which is freely obtainable? When I wanted some publicity shots done on the South Bank, I just had to get a permit from the Mayor of London giving permission. If they have that, then it isn't a crime at all. They have permission to take photographs whether that be with a tripod or just handheld. And come on, scaring and intimidating a member of the public? Kate isn't a member of the public and if she's intimidated by a few photographers then she aint Queen material.

I would criticise the guarding/shielding of any 'artiste', now that is a waste of time IMO.

So would I. But if the artiste is paying for their own security then what is it do with us? But why is it a waste of time to shield/guard an artiste but not Kate Middleton?

 

[Skydragon]

I think we can be pretty sure that they have not got permission to harass this young woman, who is still a taxpaying member of the public! Nor would they have been given permission to block any pavement.

Why is it a waste of time to shield/guard an artiste, because they have chosen by their profession to put themselves in the public eye, to publicise themselves, Catherine hasn't

 

[BeatrixFan]

Harrassment is a strong word and if it really was harrassment they'd be in court. They're taking a few photographs. It's nothing. You didn't answer my question though. Why is Kate worthy of bodyguards but singers etc are not?

 

[Skydragon]

Harrassment is a strong word and if it really was harrassment they'd be in court. They're taking a few photographs. It's nothing. You didn't answer my question though. Why is Kate worthy of bodyguards but singers etc are not?

It is something, clearly to many, just not you and one or two others, who, if it was happening to them would probably scream blue murder! It is not just a few photographs, it is her being unable to go about her normal business without being followed by any number of unknown men, some of whom push cameras in her face, shout obsenities and generally wish her ill, because that's the sort of picture they want.

As I said artistes/singers etc have chosen to put themselves in the public eye, they crave and need publicity, any publicity, why should Catherine or I pay towards protecting them?

 

[Luv2Cruise]

Okay I'll play. Since no crime was committed by them taking photos of Kate's comings and goings. Then no law is being broken by security forming a cordon around her so she can walk down the street in peace. Life is a two-way street.

Not that I mind seeing pictures of her. She's lovely, and I hope when the time is right she will make a great addition to the royal family. William goes up in my book because he has chosen someone not from his class.

 

[BeatrixFan]

When has she been not able to go about her daily business? And what daily business?! She's out of work. She does nothing. She has nothing to do. And nobody is getting close enough to push a camera in her face. You're taking the press attention Di got and thinking that's what Kate's getting when she goes to Selfridges. She isn't. All the pics of her are taken from across a road. None are close, none are directly in front of her. They're keeping their distance and getting their photographs.

Kate HAS put herself in the public eye. She's dating Prince William for goodness sake! Don't you see that?! She knew she'd be photographed, if she didnt want to be photographed she shouldn't have carried on the relationship. Stop giving your sympathy to this work-shy non-entity. She doesn't deserve it. She isn't being harrassed, she's being photographed and it's something she's just got to get used to. End of.

 

[Duchess]

I did. I said that she couldn't carry on like Chelsy, NOT THAT SHE'D WANT TO. By which I meant, she wouldn't want to be like Chelsy. Anyway, we won't agree on this one so I'll retreat. You obviously adore the girl, I can't stand her. The beauty of freedom of opinion.

i don't "adore" catherine by any stretch of the imagination but since i don't know her i'm giving her the benefit of the doubt because i'm realistic and she's a private citizen. but i also see that you like to play devil's advocate and no rational person would be as critical as you've been, in reality, with no personal knowledge of the situation and going merely on what they've read/seen in the least reliable of the newspapers.

 

[Luv2Cruise]

It is something, clearly to many, just not you and one or two others, who, if it was happening to them would probably scream blue murder! It is not just a few photographs, it is her being unable to go about her normal business without being followed by any number of unknown men, some of whom push cameras in her face, shout obsenities and generally wish her ill, because that's the sort of picture they want.

Absolutely. And any psycho could pose as a photographer and attempt bodily harm to her. There are warped people out here. I can tell by the hateful remarks about her at other sites. Read enough of that garbage and it would be enough to incite someone who is unstable to attempt to harm her. You don't have to be a security expert to know that. It's common sense. I feel like I could find her flat blindfolded within an hour of arriving in London. And I've never been to London.

 

[Duchess]

It is something, clearly to many, just not you and one or two others, who, if it was happening to them would probably scream blue murder! It is not just a few photographs, it is her being unable to go about her normal business without being followed by any number of unknown men, some of whom push cameras in her face, shout obsenities and generally wish her ill, because that's the sort of picture they want.

As I said artistes/singers etc have chosen to put themselves in the public eye, they crave and need publicity, any publicity, why should Catherine or I pay towards protecting them?

absolutely right. catherine hasn't chosen to put herself in the public eye just because she's dating him. and celebrities can afford to pay for round the clock security whereas i doubt that catherine's parents, successful as they are, can afford that luxury for their daughter or they'd have done that by now.

 

[Luv2Cruise]

When has she been not able to go about her daily business? And what daily business?! She's out of work. She does nothing. She has nothing to do. And nobody is getting close enough to push a camera in her face.

And you know this how????? Oh that's right. From PAPARAZZI PICTURES.