The Duchess of Cambridge Current Events 2: February 2012-January 2013

[anbrida]

Are they serious? Im sorry but I find that insulting and in very bad taste. What is the reason for this mocking? What has the BRF done to China that warrants this offense? Or is it that whoever did this is just an idiot and has no class whatsoever?

Take it easy, they just using them as symbols to make story. Nothing against them really. Actually I like "Kate" most in the ad. She is the most funny and look-alike one.

Actually when Charles wrote those mocking diary of the Chinese leaders in HK handover, most Chinese people found it funny and in somewhat catching the point. Not a big deal really.

 

[padams2359]

I saw a picture a while back with the Duchess of Cambridge with David Walliams. I think he and Matt Lucas, along with Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French are the funniest brits since Monty Python and Benny Hill. Although Jennifer Saunders turned down an OBE a few years ago. The D of C was asking him about the "Swim the Thames," He could not stress enough of how bad of an idea he thought it would be for her to do it.

 

[ghost_night554]

Rebecca English ‏@RE_DailyMail Duchess of Cambridge in the royal box Sunday to watch Murray final, sources tell me.William has 'prior private commitments' tho' #wimbledon

Rebecca English ‏@RE_DailyMail Buckingham Palace were unable to confirm at this stage, however, whether the Queen will also attend.

Rebecca English ‏@RE_DailyMail Kate is a huge fan of the tennis and watched Murray's historic semi final on tv. Wonder whether she will take on a formal roll at Wimbledon?

Now that would be really cool. The Queen and Catherine watching Wimbledon final together!

Well nvm there goes that idea!
https://twitter.com/RE_DailyMail

Rebecca English ‏@RE_DailyMail Buckingham Palace now tell me the Queen won't be attending Murray final as she has 'longstanding private engagements'

 

[Lumutqueen]

Church and family dinner I imagine

The Duke of Kent will be there to accompany Catherine, if she attends. Also the dearest Rebecca might not know her stuff, she just mixed up The Duke of Kent and The Duke of Cambridge.

 

[Baroness of Books]

Well, this will give me more incentive to watch the men's final. I'm rooting for Andy; Roger's won enough.

 

[ghost_night554]

Church and family dinner I imagine

The Duke of Kent will be there to accompany Catherine, if she attends. Also the dearest Rebecca might not know her stuff, she just mixed up The Duke of Kent and The Duke of Cambridge.

Your right cause check this out
https://twitter.com/RoyalReporter

Richard Palmer ‏@RoyalReporter The Queen's cousin, the Duke of Kent, who is president of the All England club, is expected to present the trophy at Wimbledon on Sunday.

 

[Baroness of Books]

He's always present, at least all the times I've watched the men's final, to award the men's trophy at Wimbledon.

 

[Artemisia]

Waiting forward to the final.
Perhaps Wimbledon will finally have a British winner. Long overdue.

Such a pity Her Majesty will not be present; if Murrey does win, it would have been extra-special to have the trophy presented by his Head of State.

 

[EIIR]

I was sure the Queen would go given it's Jubilee and Olympic year, much as she is clearly not a lover of tennis. The whole country will stop on Sunday for this match. It's so painful to have invented the game and to play host to the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, and never see a British winner.

Off topic again, sorry. I haven't seen much Benny Hill either, but its theme tune is just the best thing ever. Put this music to just about anything and it becomes hilarious. A true work of genius.

Benny Hill Theme - YouTube

 

[Baroness of Books]

EIIR and Artemisia, Virginia Wade was the last British winner of the women's Wimbledon championship back in 1977, but I know you're anxious to see a male winner this time! I watched that tournament and HM did present Virginia the trophy. A really thrilling win for Virginia and the country.

 

[MichelleQ2]

Waiting forward to the final.
Perhaps Wimbledon will finally have a British winner. Long overdue.

Such a pity Her Majesty will not be present; if Murrey does win, it would have been extra-special to have the trophy presented by his Head of State.

Yes as it was the Queen who presented Virginia Wade with her women's singles win in 1977 in the silver jubilee year
http://tennis-buzz.com/files/2011/06/wade.jpg

Thought it might be some good jubilee luck repeating itself

 

[Artemisia]

Indeed, maybe it will be another Jubilee good luck.
This feels like Britain's year, what with the Jubilee, the Olympics and now Wimbledon. Although it's better not to remember EURO 2012.

 

[ghost_night554]

I'd like to note that Richard stresses that the Duchess' attendance is not listed in the court circular therefore it will be a "private visit"

Richard Palmer ‏@RoyalReporter The Duchess of Cambridge will cheer on Andy Murray from the royal box at Wimbledon on Sunday but will be there "privately".

Richard Palmer ‏@RoyalReporter
It doesn't appear in the Court Circular but, in practice, I don't think it makes a huge difference to the rest of us.

https://twitter.com/RoyalReporter

Richard Palmer ‏@RoyalReporter @arod_ana She and William were there privately on Wednesday too. It's not an official royal engagement on behalf of the Queen.

 

[sndral]

I was wondering if she might join the Duke of Kent in presenting the trophy, since neither the Queen or William will be present she'd be the senior member of the Royal family present - but if it's a 'private' visit (albeit in the Royal box) then I suppose that won't happen. I realize the Duke of Kent has been doing this for a long time and of course deserves to present the trophy, but having her help could begin the transition from the older generation to the younger. I'd be watching the final, anyway, but now I'll be particularly interested.

 

[AdmirerUS]

Kate recognizes her "place"

I was wondering if she might join the Duke of Kent in presenting the trophy, since neither the Queen or William will be present she'd be the senior member of the Royal family present - but if it's a 'private' visit (albeit in the Royal box) then I suppose that won't happen. I realize the Duke of Kent has been doing this for a long time and of course deserves to present the trophy, but having her help could begin the transition from the older generation to the younger. I'd be watching the final, anyway, but now I'll be particularly interested.

One thing I adore about the Duchess of Cambridge, is that she seems to know when to take the limelight and when to avoid it. There are a lot of egos in the family business and she seems to have figured out how to be an asset but not a thorn in the crown (so to speak).

I love Federer - I think he is a tennis genius - but like many Americans, I am pulling for Murray! How can one not pull for a Scotsman? We are besotted on this side of the pond with anyone who has a British isles accent. Have you all seen this video? Smithy vs Andy Murray. Does Smithy know his ace from his tennis elbow? - YouTube More silly humor - and love every moment of it.


Anyway, it will be great to see who shows up in the Royal Box at the men's finals. In the meantime, I'll be watching all the doubles, which are providing some lovely competition, as usual.

 

[Baroness of Books]

One thing I adore about the Duchess of Cambridge, is that she seems to know when to take the limelight and when to avoid it. There are a lot of egos in the family business and she seems to have figured out how to be an asset but not a thorn in the crown (so to speak

You're so right; I thought the same thing about Kate. I don't think she should co-present the Wimbledon trophy; it's too soon in her role and it could give the impression that she's edging in on the Duke of Kent. He's a venerable royal and has been doing the presentation for many years and I think him as much of an tradition to Wimbledon as the strawberries and cream they serve there. I can see her doing award presentations at polo matches, which she's done, but for these major competitions she's got time enough ahead of her for any transition to take place.

 

[sndral]

You're so right; I thought the same thing about Kate. I don't think she should co-present the Wimbledon trophy; it's too soon in her role and it could give the impression that she's edging in on the Duke of Kent. He's a venerable royal and has been doing the presentation for many years and I think him as much of an tradition to Wimbledon as the strawberries and cream they serve there. I can see her doing award presentations at polo matches, which she's done, but for these major competitions she's got time enough ahead of her for any transition to take place.

I was thinking more of the Duke, as he's 76, but since it's a private visit by Catherine, I don't think she'll be "'edging in on the Duke," so no danger of giving that impression.

Anyway, it will be great to see who shows up in the Royal Box at the men's finals. In the meantime, I'll be watching all the doubles, which are providing some lovely competition, as usual.

The Mirror is hinting that the Queen might show up, which is contrary to what other reporters said earlier.
Kate Middleton going to Wimbledon 2012 final to cheer on Andy Murray - Mirror Online

 

[MichelleQ2]

I was wondering if she might join the Duke of Kent in presenting the trophy, since neither the Queen or William will be present she'd be the senior member of the Royal family present - but if it's a 'private' visit (albeit in the Royal box) then I suppose that won't happen. I realize the Duke of Kent has been doing this for a long time and of course deserves to present the trophy, but having her help could begin the transition from the older generation to the younger. I'd be watching the final, anyway, but now I'll be particularly interested.

The duke is the royal patron of the all England tennis club and it is in that capacity that he presents the prizes. Previously it was a role he shared with his wife, the duchess of kent. When she bowed out of royal duties, HM assumed her role. That is also why his Wimbledon appearances are part of his official duties. Other than HM, it wouldn't be appropriate for any other member of the royal family to present the awards while he is present.

 

[Daria_S]

You're so right; I thought the same thing about Kate. I don't think she should co-present the Wimbledon trophy; it's too soon in her role and it could give the impression that she's edging in on the Duke of Kent. He's a venerable royal and has been doing the presentation for many years and I think him as much of an tradition to Wimbledon as the strawberries and cream they serve there. I can see her doing award presentations at polo matches, which she's done, but for these major competitions she's got time enough ahead of her for any transition to take place.

I agree with you here. We had a saying in USSR, that went something like 'don't stick out', and if Catherine were to co-present that trophy at Wimbledon on Sunday, she would be doing just that. She's not the patron, the Duke of Kent is, and therefore, the honor should be his. Catherine may, at some point, choose to take over for him, and then she'll present the trophies to the winners. As someone else noted, Catherine knows how to balance being in the limelight and stepping back. She's not pushing herself in everyone's faces, nor is she sitting at home, hiding from the world. I get that it's a big year for Great Britain, but having Catherine presenting a trophy at Wimbledon would be an over-kill (and it's not her year, but Her Majesty's, so if anyone should have that spotlight, it ought to be her, and as I understand she's unable to attend due to prior engagements).

 

[Lumutqueen]

I certainly won't be stopping on Sunday to watch this final, I find tennis boring and Murray rather arrogant. I'll be cheering for Federer while I'm at work.

As for Catherine knowing her place, even if she's visiting privately she's going to be splashed over every newspaper to next day never mind who wins. She'll steal the limelight without even knowing it, but that's just what happens when she's around.

 

[VictoriaB]

I certainly won't be stopping on Sunday to watch this final, I find tennis boring and Murray rather arrogant. I'll be cheering for Federer while I'm at work.

As for Catherine knowing her place, even if she's visiting privately she's going to be splashed over every newspaper to next day never mind who wins. She'll steal the limelight without even knowing it, but that's just what happens when she's around.

Which is why part of me wishes she wouldn't attend at all.

It's unfortunate because it's not Catherine's fault and there's nothing she can do about it, but Sunday should be about Roger Federer and Andy Murray - not someone looking decorative in the Royal Box.

I'll also be cheering for Federer. Not only is he a tennis genius, as someone said, he is an absolute gentleman and his style of tennis is beautiful and graceful

 

[Lumutqueen]

Which is why part of me wishes she wouldn't attend at all.

It's unfortunate because it's not Catherine's fault and there's nothing she can do about it, but Sunday should be about Roger Federer and Andy Murray - not someone looking decorative in the Royal Box.

I'll also be cheering for Federer. Not only is he a tennis genius, as someone said, he is an absolute gentleman and his style of tennis is beautiful and graceful

It is definitely not her fault, I agree. But surely there is a way she could watch without out shining the players. What was on the cover of the newspapers on Thursday? Murray making it to the semi final? Nope Catherine's facial expressions.

Also, we have a men's doubles finalist who plays on Centre Court today.

The last time a British man won Wimbledon was Fred Perry in 1936. The last time we had a British finalist was 1938 with Bunny Austin. Fred Perry and Bunny Austin were English, a point I think should be highlighted as I saw more Scottish flags than Union ones on the news this morning.


On another NOTE: Catherine's being "used" again, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...otten-US-magazine-cover-The-New-Republic.html

 

[EIIR]

If Kate were suddenly going to Wimbledon out of the blue to see the final, I would think that odd. Fact is though, Kate has been a fan of tennis since long before marrying William. She's not just going along to get her photo in the paper or take attention away from the players. She's going because she loves the sport, as apparently do all her family.

Does anyone seriously think that if Murray wins Wimbledon tomorrow there'll be anyone other than him getting anywhere near the front pages of the British papers on Monday? Don't be silly. The nation will stop tomorrow to watch the final, be in no doubt.

Wimbledon are very clearly courting Kate as a potential President of the All England Club after the Duke of Kent retires. They've been all over her and William, and also her parents and siblings, giving them seats in the Royal Box etc. Given Pippa's membership at Queen's (where Kate apparently goes to play privately), it wouldn't surprise me if the Wimbledon hierarchy are anxious that Kate not give her patronage to Queen's Club, but rather take over from the Duke of Kent at Wimbledon.

Personally, I think the Duke of Kent should leave the position as President. It was him who instigated the end of the bow and curtsey at Wimbledon, which I felt was totally wrong.

 

[Lumutqueen]

The "nation" will not stop tomorrow. Life does not revolve around Murray playing a tennis match. There are way more important things than a Scot potentially winning this tournament. Tennis fans will stop, Murray fans will, everybody else will go about their business.

Catherine like tennis, evident that this isn't an engagement neither was Wednesdays outing. My argument is that saying she knows her place IMO is wrong, she knows she attracts the most amount of attention and she probably plays up to it.

You choose to bow and curtsey to a Monarch it should not be forced upon anyone.

 

[EIIR]

It was never 'forced' upon anyone. No-one complained about having to do it, and it actually added something to Wimbledon whose uniqueness is in its sense of history and tradition, along with its royal patronage. The Duke of Kent decided to unilaterally end one of those traditions, despite there having been no sense that it was a problem for anyone. His presidency of the All England Club has been more or less a complete non-entity otherwise. We're still no closer to having even a small proportion of children playing tennis regularly, which means that Andy Murray aside, we have no world class tennis players in this country. All this while the formerly Eastern Bloc countries, for example, have been churning out world class players on a conveyor belt.

Kate took a couple of shots with a hockey stick and sales of hockey equipment soared 300%. That's what tennis in this country needs, a public figure whose support makes things happen, rather than simply sitting almost anonymously in the Royal Box.

You state that Kate 'probably plays up' the amount of attention she receives. What is the evidence for this statement? When has she 'played up' to the press, or tried to insert herself above her appropriate station among the royals? We've only ever seen her be extremely careful when among other royals to not step on anyone's toes.

You may not be interested in watching Andy Murray tomorrow, but I'm pretty confident in saying that you're in the minority in that. His semi-final managed to pre-empt the 6 O'Clock News on BBC1, who actually switched the evening's main news bulletin to BBC2. I have never seen that happen. The news on all the channels last night dedicated at least the first 10 minutes of their 30 minute bulletins to the story, despite the fact that, among other things, we've seen some of the worst summer flooding ever. I have no doubt whatsoever that viewing figures for the final tomorrow will be enormous in the UK.

 

[Baroness of Books]

I was thinking more of the Duke, as he's 76, but since it's a private visit by Catherine, I don't think she'll be "'edging in on the Duke," so no danger of giving that impression.

That impression could only happen, IMO, if she co-presented the trophy with the Duke of Kent as you had originally mentioned, not remain in the royal box as a private spectator. But we can only wait and see what will happen, if she even shows up!

 

[hkittybaby]

Max Foster‏@MaxFosterCNN
Only royals attending #Wimbledon men's final are Duchess' of Cambridge and Gloucester and Duke of Kent

 

[Daria_S]

The "nation" will not stop tomorrow. Life does not revolve around Murray playing a tennis match. There are way more important things than a Scot potentially winning this tournament. Tennis fans will stop, Murray fans will, everybody else will go about their business.

Catherine like tennis, evident that this isn't an engagement neither was Wednesdays outing. My argument is that saying she knows her place IMO is wrong, she knows she attracts the most amount of attention and she probably plays up to it.

You choose to bow and curtsey to a Monarch it should not be forced upon anyone.

I will respectfully disagree here. I haven't seen her push her way into the limelight, even when she was the one performing the engagement. She strikes me as a person who can handle being the center of attention, but not necessarily enjoy it (yes, she smiles to the camera, but that's part of her job). I felt that whenever she was doing anything (solo or otherwise), she was trying to divert the attention to the cause she was supporting, hence the modest dress and recycling of outfits.

 

[MichelleQ2]

I will respectfully disagree here. I haven't seen her push her way into the limelight, even when she was the one performing the engagement. She strikes me as a person who can handle being the center of attention, but not necessarily enjoy it (yes, she smiles to the camera, but that's part of her job). I felt that whenever she was doing anything (solo or otherwise), she was trying to divert the attention to the cause she was supporting, hence the modest dress and recycling of outfits.

I agree, she is an avid fan of the game and is enjoying the sport and is obviously supportive of the sport. Which kings, queens and the royal family have done for years. Yes she is very popular right now, but some fans of the game feel that this is a good thing... Shining light on the sport. The royal family and the long British tradition is part of what sets Wimbledon apart from the other majors. I have been associated with the business side of the tennis industry for years and the All England Club is very proud of its affiliations with the Royal Family; they are a part of all of their marketing materials.

It is not dissimilar to the Royal Family's presence at Ascot.

 

[VictoriaB]

Personally, I think the Duke of Kent should leave the position as President. It was him who instigated the end of the bow and curtsey at Wimbledon, which I felt was totally wrong.

Sorry but there was something ridiculous about citizens of foreign countries bowing to a box. The US fought a war to rid themselves of the British monarchy; other countries, while they may not have made quite such a spectacular statement, also chose not to have the British Monarch as their head of state. IMO it's rude to require citizens of countries who have no allegiance to the British crown to bow or curtsey to its representatives.

IMO the Duke of Kent was correct and, after all, it was to him and his family that people were being asked to bow/curtsey. If he didn't mind then why should anyone else? As we have discussed in the protocol thread, the Royal Family's website says that bowing and curtseying are optional when meeting any member of the Royal Family (the Queen included).

The Duke of Kent, his wife and his mother have been longstanding and loyal patrons of Wimbledon. I don't think he should give up his position until he wants to - and hopefully not for many more years to come.