The Family and Background of the Duchess of Cambridge, the Middletons 1, Until 2022

[Iluvbertie]

Having very recently endured a Princess themed party, the range is a success as far as the dozens of little girls were concerned.

I could very well believe it.

One of my colleagues has a 6 year old (well she is 6 now having had a birthday this week) and when her mother said that she could have a birthday party and choose a theme - only one came from said 6 year old - I want a Princess party like Naomi (a little friend who had had one couple of weeks ago). According to the mother her little 6 year old has attended 7 Princess and 5 Fairy tale themed birthday parties in the last year and guess what - the mother has no interest in the Royals and has never heard of Kate Middleton (well as she admitted she might have heard the name but it has never registered in her consciousness).

From this I would say that Princess themed parties are just a common theme for little girls and nothing to get worked up about regarding Kate's family who, after all, sell party things for children so Princess themes would be a logical one to have.

 

[Mermaid1962]

There was a princess-theme-party layout in the local paper today. It was some kind of community event for children. They could get their pictures taken with Cinderella, and all the little girls were dressed in tiaras and satiny long dresses. The princess theme is very, very popular. The Middletons would have to be complete dunces not to include this gear in their party business.

From this I would say that Princess themed parties are just a common theme for little girls and nothing to get worked up about regarding Kate's family who, after all, sell party things for children so Princess themes would be a logical one to have.

 

[Iluvbertie]

There was a princess-theme-party layout in the local paper today. It was some kind of community event for children. They could get their pictures taken with Cinderella, and all the little girls were dressed in tiaras and satiny long dresses. The princess theme is very, very popular. The Middletons would have to be complete dunces not to include this gear in their party business.

I couldn't agree more, which is why I regard it as a beat up to say that they are cashing in on Kate's relationship with William.

Princess theme parties have been popular with little girls for generations and will be for many more.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Kate's brother James landed a major promo-story for his bakery business in this week's Hello! by doing 21 cakes with Hello! front cover stories from the last 21 years.

Of course when asked whether he would produce the wedding cake for his sister and Prince William he just smiled ... and yes, now everybody knows that James can do fancy cakes. Should be worth something in credit crunch times.

HELLO! - The place for daily celebrity news - hellomagazine.com

 

[Principessa Cano]

I'm not comfortable with the way this family seem to use their royal connections for their own gains. No one would care about the 18 month old mail order cake company of a 22 year old university drop out if his sister were not dating the second in line. Obviously, the Middletons cannot stop the press from talking about them and gaining publicity from that, but granting interviews seems to be going too far, imo.

 

[Mermaid1962]

I think that if James "just smiled" when his sister was brought into the conversation, he's not using Kate's relationship with Prince William to help his business. Someone really using the connection would talk it up more.

I'm not comfortable with the way this family seem to use their royal connections for their own gains. No one would care about the 18 month old mail order cake company of a 22 year old university drop out if his sister were not dating the second in line. Obviously, the Middletons cannot stop the press from talking about them and gaining publicity from that, but granting interviews seems to be going too far, imo.

 

[4Pam]

I had a princess theme party for my 3rd and 4th birthdays then fairy themed parties until I was 6 haha. The press acted like it's something new bc of Kate... Little girls have had those themes since Disney became huge.

 

[Little_star]

I'm not comfortable with the way this family seem to use their royal connections for their own gains. No one would care about the 18 month old mail order cake company of a 22 year old university drop out if his sister were not dating the second in line. Obviously, the Middletons cannot stop the press from talking about them and gaining publicity from that, but granting interviews seems to be going too far, imo.

This isn't the first time. There was also an article in Tatler a couple of months ago.

 

[Wisteria]

I think that if James "just smiled" when his sister was brought into the conversation, he's not using Kate's relationship with Prince William to help his business. Someone really using the connection would talk it up more.

I don´t think James needs to do anything more than smile, he wouldn´t have been there at all if he wasn´t Kate´s brother.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I don´t think James needs to do anything more than smile, he wouldn´t have been there at all if he wasn´t Kate´s brother.

Exactly - why the ludricous idea of producing cakes with Hello! covers in the first place if not for the sake of promoting James Middleton's business that is only interesting because it is owned by the brother of Prince William's girlfriend.

It's the usual cheap self promotion this family has come up with and not for the first time, as Little_star said.

 

[Amelia]

Can't really see the big deal personally, unless he starts taking about Kate and William while doing interviews he is simply taking all the attention he can get to promote his business. He's not the first person who got publicity because of who he knows and won't be the last.

It's the usual cheap self promotion this family has come up with and not for the first time, as Little_star said

Besides James's article in Tatler about his business what else has there been?

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Can't really see the big deal personally, unless he starts taking about Kate and William while doing interviews he is simply taking all the attention he can get to promote his business. He's not the first person who got publicity because of who he knows and won't be the last.

Using his sister's tabloid fame to promote the own bakery business is not exactly "discreet", something that the Middletons are often praised for.

Besides James's article in Tatler about his business what else has there been?

Pippa appeared in Hello! several times promote her image as "socialite" and lateron regarding her working for a catering service and I am not even getting into the Party Pieces topic.

 

[Amelia]

I disagree, as I said I don't see it as a big deal as long as he is talking about cakes and not Kate or William in his interview.

I didn't know Pippa was interviewed by Hello! but as I said about James as long as she doesn't talk about her sister or her relationship then I really don't care.

 

[Wisteria]

I disagree, as I said I don't see it as a big deal as long as he is talking about cakes and not Kate or William in his interview.

I didn't know Pippa was interviewed by Hello! but as I said about James as long as she doesn't talk about her sister or her relationship then I really don't care.

He isn´t out to promote his sister, he wants to sell his cakes. The other people mention his sister and he just smiles, as the old cliché goes "all the way to the bank".

 

[Idriel]

I find it incredibly naive to believe that he isn't exploiting his sister's private life.

Hello has obviously been nurturing a loving relationship with the Middletons and it has paid off: Kate has posed exclusively for them, both James and Pippa have given them exclusive interviews and they even get the occasional scoop.
In return, the Middletons get fawning reports and free publicity for their commercial ventures.
All the while, they still come off smelling like roses with members of this board getting over themselves to defend them.

Win/win all around!

 

[Amelia]

Hello give one type of report and that's fawning. Everything is good, everyone is so beautiful,happy and so very in love. That is what Hello is about and everyone who buys it know this.

As for James he sells or makes or does whatever with cakes. Hello asked him to bake some cakes. Would they have asked if he wasn't Kate's brother? Probably not, but he is her brother so they asked him and he, having the sense not to turn down the free publicity, accepted. As long as he doesn't start talking about his sister and her relationship then he can bake as many cakes for all the magazines in the UK as he likes as far as I'm concerned. I don't care what he does, I don't care what Pippa does and I don't care what their parents do because they are not in a relationship with William, Kate is.

 

[Elspeth]

Kate's brother James landed a major promo-story for his bakery business in this week's Hello! by doing 21 cakes with Hello! front cover stories from the last 21 years.

Of course when asked whether he would produce the wedding cake for his sister and Prince William he just smiled ... and yes, now everybody knows that James can do fancy cakes. Should be worth something in credit crunch times.

HELLO! - The place for daily celebrity news - hellomagazine.com

Having looked at his website, I seriously doubt he's up to doing royal wedding cakes. He sells cake decorating kits, not decorated wedding cakes, and he isn't a master baker or anywhere near. What a bloody stupid question to ask him.

 

[Wisteria]

This would be perfectly true if it were an ordinary relationship, but we are talking about the heir to the UK throne and his perhaps future family-in-law and that surely makes a difference. Of course if his sister´s dating the future king and that sells his cakes and he makes a lot of money then I suppose he is very happy about it. If it weren´t for his sister he would be a nobody and probably people wouldn´t even like the taste of his cakes.
He is profitting from the fame of his sister but I suppose, even though I disapprove, I can understand it.

 

[annette2002]

I am confused why anyone would be upset because Hello ask James Middleton to bake cakes and he did. So what? A lot of you folks only trash this family because you guys hate the fact that Kate is dating William . As Amelia said he is not talking about the royal family he is not talking about Kate relationship with William . He is talking about his business .So what if he gets free publicity ,who on this website would not accept free publicity for there business . God knows this family get trashed enough because of who his sister date , so why and enjoy free publicity for his business because of who is sister dates.

 

[Roslyn]

I agree with Amelia and Annette on this. With the proviso he does not talk about the Royals or the relationship, I see no reason why he should not take advantage of the fact people are intersted in him because of Kate. It's free publicity for his business, and I think he'd be silly not to take advantage of these opportunities.

 

[Elspeth]

I agree with Amelia and Annette on this. With the proviso he does not talk about the Royals or the relationship, I see no reason why he should not take advantage of the fact people are intersted in him because of Kate. It's free publicity for his business, and I think he'd be silly not to take advantage of these opportunities.

I dunno...I mean, I'm sure he knows he wouldn't be getting these opportunities if not for his sister's connection with the royal family, and that Hello isn't interested in him for his own sweet sake, but where the royals are concerned there's something to be said for a gracious "thanks but no thanks." When her family are seen to be cashing in like this it increases the feelings that the whole lot of them are taking advantage and it tends to rebound unfavourably on Kate. With so many people already queuing up to throw rocks at Kate for being a tasteless vulgar common or garden gold-digger, this sort of thing isn't helpful to her.

 

[Ella Kay]

I dunno...I mean, I'm sure he knows he wouldn't be getting these opportunities if not for his sister's connection with the royal family, and that Hello isn't interested in him for his own sweet sake, but where the royals are concerned there's something to be said for a gracious "thanks but no thanks." When her family are seen to be cashing in like this it increases the feelings that the whole lot of them are taking advantage and it tends to rebound unfavourably on Kate. With so many people already queuing up to throw rocks at Kate for being a tasteless vulgar common or garden gold-digger, this sort of thing isn't helpful to her.

I tend to agree, Elspeth. I'm sure it would be difficult to turn down what is essentially free publicity for a budding new business, but the more the family appears in the press, the more criticism Kate gets.

It would do well for all of them to follow her example and shun the spotlight until the situation is resolved, either with an engagement (as I expect there will be eventually) or with the end of the relationship.

 

[Roslyn]

I dunno...I mean, I'm sure he knows he wouldn't be getting these opportunities if not for his sister's connection with the royal family, and that Hello isn't interested in him for his own sweet sake, but where the royals are concerned there's something to be said for a gracious "thanks but no thanks." When her family are seen to be cashing in like this it increases the feelings that the whole lot of them are taking advantage and it tends to rebound unfavourably on Kate. With so many people already queuing up to throw rocks at Kate for being a tasteless vulgar common or garden gold-digger, this sort of thing isn't helpful to her.

You make very good points.

It would be nice to be able to take the high ground and say, "no comment", but if you are starting a business it would be hard to say no to free publicity. The Middletons don't seek publicity, they are hunted out by the press, and I don't think it's fair for Kate to be penalised and her relationship with William jeopardised because her family members don't tell the vultures to naff off.

I wonder what she really thinks about it, and whether they consult her about it.

 

[Mermaid1962]

Not naive, no. And I'm not falling all over myself to defend him. James doesn't impress me much based on his previous behaviour.

I agree with what Elspeth says, he should be more careful. OTOH I don't think that it's immoral for him to appear in HELLO.

I find it incredibly naive to believe that he isn't exploiting his sister's private life.

 

[Wisteria]

I think it would be a terrible shame if Kate´s family spoil such a long standing romance, which hopefully will end in marriage, by their seemingly money and spotlight grabbing behaviour. The only really discreet person in the family seems to be the father and since the criticism her mother received after her appearance at Sandhurst, she seems to have definitely tried to keep in the background, except for that very foolish statement she made about probably no marriage would take place. Of course, we don´t know if she really said this or not.

 

[muriel]

Hello has obviously been nurturing a loving relationship with the Middletons and it has paid off: Kate has posed exclusively for them, both James and Pippa have given them exclusive interviews and they even get the occasional scoop.

Maybe I missed this one. When did Kate pose exclusively for Hello?

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Maybe I missed this one. When did Kate pose exclusively for Hello?

Kate did an exclusive when participating in the sisterhood project, incl cover. It backfired big time because she was shown carefully styled with full make up on the boat in her position as a cox, like a warrior princess in the middle ages, directing the rowing girls who were covered in sweat and looked nothing but exhausted. Only days after the publication Kate left the project probably due to the resulting polemic.

 

[Charlotte1]

Hello magazine sponsored the female boat in the dragon boat race that Kate agreed to be part of the crew. Part of the deal with Hello was exclusive pictures of the crew and an interview, not done by Kate but the other crew members. Kate was in full makeup, hardly styled, her hair was in a ponytail, the other crew members were also made up, not sweaty and exhausted. She didn't leave days after the photos and article came out, it was later as the publicity was reaching fever pitch with her and there was concern over the amount of photographer boats who would follow the dragon boat on the open sea. Dragon boats aren't stable and a large amount of boats and their wake could cause them to capsize. Kate pulled out over safety issues, the mass media didn't bother to follow the race afterwards, although Hello magazine did and came through and published photos of the race and crews ( there was a male members boat as competition, they won) The Hello sponsorship went towards the money the Sisterhood team raised which went to the charity Birthright. Raising money for this charity was the reason this dragon boat race across the channel was created.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

well of course everybody is entitled to an own interpretation about why the sisterhood project went wrong for kate.

the only reason why hello was interested in the story is because kate became a team member, ready to do exclusive pictures - to answer muriel's question.

obviously the middleton family likes hello's courting what is not helpful in the big picture - see elspeth's post.

 

[Charlotte1]

It's not my interpretation as to why the sisterhood project didn't work out, but rather the interview that the organiser of the sisterhood boat gave. She was the one who explained about the safety concerns, initially they had planned on having an exclusion zone around the dragon boat on the open sea but there was no real way to enforce that.
Yes Hello only became interested once Kate joined the team, but then that's why she was asked to participate ( information from interview of team leader) in the first place. She would bring publicity and sponsorship that in turn would highlight the charity that was the beneficiary as well as more money which was the reason for doing the race, it was a fundraiser. It was a case of harnessing press interest in Kate for a good cause, or in James Middleton's case, interest in his family to promote his business. ( Win, win each use each other)
Hello magazine writes fluffy pieces on everyone, the Middletons are no different. It's not a magazine that does hard hitting, critical journalism, that's how too they get the exclusives they do, their subjects know it won't be a hatchet job. The first issue of Hello magazine Princess Anne was the cover girl and there was an interview with her inside. ( All posed and styled!)