Prince William and Kate Middleton Current Events 6: August-November 2008

[Duke of Marmalade]

It's amazing to see what surreal theories have been brought up to find an excuse for something inexcusable. Not all posters might live in the UK but those who do, as Little Star has already pointed out, will know that there have recently been / still are major campaigns regarding road safety, and especially regarding mobile phone use whilst driving, taking even priority before drink-driving as there have been terrible accidents due to the mobile phones issue.

So, every member of the british public should be very aware, and that includes Kate Middleton. It is irrelevant whether there is a busy road or not, other cars are around or not and it is beyond me how a public figure (yes she is because of her relationship to Prince William) like Kate Middleton who is used to / has to take into account being followed by photographers whenever she leaves her home can get herself into such a situation. To claim she was being harrassed or forced into using her mobile phone by the bad bad media whilst driving is simply ludicrous.

I hope the police will use these photos for a further investigation into this matter - not because it's Kate Middleton but because a motorist did not obey to much communicated road safety rules and put herself and others in danger.

 

[Menarue]

I hope that in all this discussion no one is saying that it is right to drive while using a cell phone, it isn´t, it is against the law, whatever reason is given for doing it. There may be mitigating circumstances but when you get down to the nitty gritty there is no escaping it, driving while phoning is against the law.
Whether Kate Middleton was driving or not we can drive ourselves to distraction with yes she was and no she wasn´t. If she is charged well then it is proven, if she isn´t well there are many conclusions to jump to and one of them just might be that she wasn´t driving.

 

[Isana]

Can she be charged based on paparazzi pics? Would she not need to be "caught" by the police or a surveillance camera instead?

I do not think anyone said the paps forced Kate to make a call while driving. Just that the pictures may not show what the papers claim they show or better the papers didn't tell the whole truth.
I think the pictures we have seen alone do not proof that she was driving on a public road. All one can see is a small part of dark concrete the car is "standing" on - the pic doesn't show it in motion obviously. Where that was the pictures doesn't show and the caption doesn't say it clearly either. Unless the paps have a video, I don't think this would suffice for legal proceedings especially since the paps themselves may not be regarded credible witnesses since they would be in breach of the law if they pictured her while in private property or pursued her while driving hence they may have an interest to pretend she was on a public road even though she may not have been.... even more so since they could be held responsible for libel as well (if the pictures do not show what they claim they do).

 

[Skydragon]

I hope the police will use these photos for a further investigation into this matter - not because it's Kate Middleton but because a motorist did not obey to much communicated road safety rules and put herself and others in danger.

Ahh the old, I am only thinking of her safety! There is no evidence that the car was even moving, so it is unlikely the police will use these photographs to launch an investigation and it would be a waste of police time and taxpayers money to do so! As you will know, they cannot use them as evidence because there is no way to ascertain when they were taken.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

POLICE are to investigate Kate Middle­ton after she was pictured apparently using a mobile phone while driving. The Thames Valley force last night said it was looking into the incident.

Daily Express | UK News :: Kate 'may face fine for phone call at wheel'-

 

[Skydragon]

POLICE are to investigate Kate Middle*ton after she was pictured apparently using a mobile phone while driving. The Thames Valley force last night said it was looking into the incident.

Daily Express | UK News :: Kate 'may face fine for phone call at wheel' -

Good headline, however the actual article does go on to say -

“We will always take a look at the facts to see if any offence has been committed. We will look at the photo and it may be that we write to her, giving her advice on her behaviour. It’s a bit early to say yet.

, no special branch investigation then!

 

[Jo of Palatine]

POLICE are to investigate Kate Middle*ton after she was pictured apparently using a mobile phone while driving. The Thames Valley force last night said it was looking into the incident.

Daily Express | UK News :: Kate 'may face fine for phone call at wheel'-

The article BTW does not claim that the police is trying to charge her with anything. You can read into the printed statement as well that they are investigating a case of harrassment.

"The Thames Valley force last night said it was looking into the incident.

snip

Police want to speak to a bystander who took the photograph from a layby. A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman said: “I think it will be a case of seeing if we can get any evidence from the person who took the photo.

“We will always take a look at the facts to see if any offence has been committed. We will look at the photo and it may be that we write to her, giving her advice on her behaviour. It’s a bit early to say yet.”

"Giving advice to somebody on one's behaviour" is not necessarily meaning that she is fined. Maybe she will receive advice how to cope with harrassment?

 

[Menarue]

Or how to buy a phone that you don´t need to hold in your hand while driving.

 

[Lady Ann]

Looks to me to have a fence behind the car, they will trap her when ever they can. she could have very well been sitting in her parents drive way waiting for someone to come out of the house who knows! If she was driving then she should be pay the fine. I have never heard fo two years in jail for talking on a cell phone but I am not from UK...

 

[muriel]

I think it goes without saying that talking on the mobile whilst driving is something any of us would condone. That said, I have to confess to having done it and I am sure most people here would as well.

In relation to the circumstances surrounding the pictures being taken, its difficult to tell what was actually going on. Its just as easy to argue that she was driving at 100mph and talking on the phone whilst driving past a village school as it is to suggest that the car may not have been moving, or that she was set up by the Press. The truth is we are unlikely to know.

Looking at the photographs, the pictures appear to have been taken at the intersection of a drive or a little side lane (perhaps leading up to her pareents house, one might argue!) with a bigger country lane. It may also be the case that she was waiting at the end of that lanbe to finish making the phone call before setting off again. Key point - none of us know the facts, so lets not get too excited!

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

It's so entertaining to read the most far-fetched and desperate theories on how poor Kate can be classified as victim of this whole story yet again - yes, it always must be other people's fault. It seems an impossible task to accept that Kate Middleton could actually have committed an offence simply by talking on the mobile pone whilst driving - as thousands of other motorists do every day. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that paparazzi could be close by and take a picture as on so many other occasions with or without Prince William - what's new?

Fact is for now what the pictures show: Kate behind the wheel in an apparently moving vehicle talking on a mobile phone what is against the law. As hard as I try I don't see any strong lights turned onto her, I don't see anyone blocking, harrassing or threatening her. And if there was, maybe her rich boyfriend should think again and open his private pocket and pay for the protection of his long-term girlfriend against the forces of evil media that lure in his Kingdom.

 

[Jo of Palatine]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...e-Middleton-driving-talking-mobile-phone.html
http://picture.belga.be/belgapicture/picture/prev/10781061.jpg
http://picture.belga.be/belgapicture/picture/prev/10781094.jpg
http://picture.belga.be/belgapicture/picture/prev/10781105.jpg

When I wanted to look thse pics up again to give DOM the link to see for himself where Catherine shields her eyes as if blinded, I found that the pics were gone. Strange, if they just showed what the media reported and could not prove something else...

 

[Isana]

I find it funny that you would expect the paps to write in the caption to their pics that they obtained them through harassment and that they followed Kate around, DOM. Most pics when she is pursued by paps look like she was alone walking down the street when in fact there were dozens of paps around because the paps don't take pics of themselves or each other but if their "target".
The mere fact that those "driving pics" exist, proves already that a paparazzi was waiting at what looks like her parent's driveway for her to leave and that they later or on another day took pics of her while driving, i.e. they have been following her around. Or are you trying to suggest that the pap took those pics by "accident" and was just coincidently near her home in Berkshire?
You may regard it "apparent" that the car was in motion when she was pictured on the phone, others including myself don't. But for any legal proceeding her guilt would need to be established beyond doubt and whether that is possible remains to be seen and depends on Kate's and the witnesse's testimony.

 

[Skydragon]

Police want to speak to a bystander who took the photograph from a layby. A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman said: “I think it will be a case of seeing if we can get any evidence from the person who took the photo.

"Giving advice to somebody on one's behaviour" is not necessarily meaning that she is fined. Maybe she will receive advice how to cope with harassment?

I wonder what 'innocent' reason the 'person who took the photograph' will give, not many innocent people stand at the side of a road, probably a road that it is known Kate travels along, with a high power digital camera, fitted with Telephoto lens!

 

[Menarue]

None of us, except Kate and the photographers, really knows what happened but I can´t help thinking that someone tipped off a newspaper that Kate had this habit of driving and talking and so they sent someone to see and get evidence if possible.
The other explanation is it was a neighbour cashing in.
Whatever the situation was she will just have to be more careful, she has been warned by some unflattering news pieces and photographs so she will just have to be wary and try not to break the law - or fall over.

 

[Skydragon]

I don't see anyone blocking, harrassing or threatening her. And if there was, maybe her rich boyfriend should think again and open his private pocket and pay for the protection of his long-term girlfriend against the forces of evil media that lure in his Kingdom.

The press association agreed when it retained it's self policing agreement, that no pictures would be taken or published of Kate at anything other than a public outing, where she could reasonably be expected to be photographed. The fact that a photographer/innocent bystander took photographs of her when she was engaged in a private moment, constitutes not only a breach of the PA agreement, but a case of stalking! To suggest that the photographer just happened to be in the vicinty of her home and just happened to have his camera at thr ready, strains the bounds of reality.

 

[Menarue]

The press association agreed when it retained it's self policing agreement, that no pictures would be taken or published of Kate at anything other than a public outing, where she could reasonably be expected to be photographed. The fact that a photographer/innocent bystander took photographs of her when she was engaged in a private moment, constitutes not only a breach of the PA agreement, but a case of stalking! To suggest that the photographer just happened to be in the vicinty of her home and just happened to have his camera at thr ready, strains the bounds of reality.

Which bring ups the question which is the more serious "crime" stalking or driving while talking on a phone.....they will have to settle out of court....

 

[avrilo]

Fact is for now what the pictures show: Kate behind the wheel in an apparently moving vehicle talking on a mobile phone what is against the law. As hard as I try I don't see any strong lights turned onto her, I don't see anyone blocking, harrassing or threatening her. And if there was, maybe her rich boyfriend should think again and open his private pocket and pay for the protection of his long-term girlfriend against the forces of evil media that lure in his Kingdom.

Well Duke you made an excellent post. William should know better, but perhaps he thinks that he is already spending to much on Kate, the Mustique vacations and those Mahiki drinks are not cheap y' know!?

I was kidding, but for real he should worry a bit more about her safety, a situation like this could turn ugly if she speeds trying to get away from them and the paparazzis follow her. One thing is Kate walking down the street; another is taking pictures of her in moving vehicles

 

[Skydragon]

Which bring ups the question which is the more serious "crime" stalking or driving while talking on a phone.....they will have to settle out of court....

Stalking definitely!!!! Any stalker, especially those working for a paper or hoping to get a good pic, should be hung, drawn and quartered!

 

[Little_star]

Calling paparrazzi photographs taken maybe once or twice a month is "stalking" is not only far-fetched but an insult to the people who are genuine victims of stalkers.

Kate is far more likely to be caught on CCTV cameras on a daily basis than she is by random photographers.

 

[ghost_night554]

Well to me considering the papz know where she lives, I doubt it was more of random ring up for them to investigate, I think they were more or less just there. I don't know if I'd call it stalking but obviously Kate is a target of the media, so I don't find anything weird about these pictures. If she had the car stopped in her driveway and was talking then I don't think that's a problem right? but if she was really driving then that's not good very good for Kate now is it.

 

[Jo of Palatine]

One should not forget to see the whole affair in perspective: if Catherine was indeed standing on talking, the pictures are worthless. If she phoned on driving, they are worth big bucks. It is no fun to stand outside a home in Bucklebury in the middle of nowhere for days and weeks and months on end without getting one picture that's worth anything, because the papers won't buy the pictures without any story behind it.

So imagine the frustration of the paps. If I have to judge from what I know about fotoreporter's work, I'd say that at some point somebody would think up ways to get pictures that tell a story. Even if the story is not entirely true. Because the costs of chasing her must be quite high.

Now they present these pictures and lots of papers/TV-stations bought them because they seem to present a juicy story. Okay, it could be that she was indeed driving. But the pics don't really show that IMHO. They can well have been selected to make it appear that she committed an offense. And I bet that's what police is looking into at the moment. So let's just sit back and wait for the results of the police probe.

 

[ghost_night554]

Forget it, I just answered my own question, I say the best thing to do is wait for the police investigation to be concluded.

 

[Skydragon]

Calling paparrazzi photographs taken maybe once or twice a month is "stalking" is not only far-fetched but an insult to the people who are genuine victims of stalkers. Kate is far more likely to be caught on CCTV cameras on a daily basis than she is by random photographers.

We may only see one or two photographs once or twice per month, but the photographers are probably there, day in day out. Stalking comes, as with everything, in degree's, as I am sure you are aware and there is nothing to suggest this was a random photographer who just happened to be standing with his telephoto lens attached in rural Berkshire!
Kate might possibly be caught on CCTV, but that all depends which Town or City she goes to, the papparazzi tend to folllow, hide and sneak.

 

[Zonk]

If Catherine was driving while on the phone, and its against the law then by all means she should be fined or whatever the law calls for.

But honestly, in my opinion, to have an police investigation regarding the matter is rather silly and a waste of money. Surely there is something else the police can be doing other than determining if she was on the phone or not. I mean, really.

Until they get married or break it off...Catherine is stuck with the press. I know some people dislike her...but everyone is entitled to a little privacy. Even those who live in a zoo.

 

[Odette]

The point is she was using her cell phone while driving which apparently is against the law in the UK. This insistence of always blaming the photographers when they catch them doing something you or I could not get away with, is a bit frustrating.
We should get real and accept that what she did was against the law. Granted no one would go to jail for it but I am sure other residents of the area, if caught, they would pay a stiff fine for. Still "poor Catherine" was being harrassed.........

 

[Jo of Palatine]

But honestly, in my opinion, to have an police investigation regarding the matter is rather silly and a waste of money.

Over here, the police would not start an investigation as it is no capital offense where the state is forced to investigate. But if a reader of the papers or a witness would come forward to push a complaint, they'd do some investigating. And only because it has become such a prominent case because really: anyone could launch such a complaint against anyone because you see lots and lots of parked cars with the drivers phoning which can be photographed as if the driver was driving and than the picture could be used as basis of a complaint. Normally they would write to her saying that this potential offense had been brought to their notice and what does she say about it? And that's the end of it because she would defend herself of course or at least claim that she can't remember and than it would be decided that it's not in the public interest to go any further. I think (from reading lots of English mysteries) that the procedure is similar in the UK, but can be wrong of course.

What makes me wonder is that the police acted so fast. Normally things like that take time. So my guess (as I said before) is that they are not investigating Catherine's phone habits in her car but something else. Which might be a complaint about an offense which warrants an official investigation.

 

[Zonk]

I am sorry, but I do believe Catherine is being harassed.
Yes, if she broke the law then by all means punish her.
I am not familiar with England, but it appears that she is in the country. SO how many photographers (professional at least) are looking for potential targets (celebs) to photograph in the country unless they are at an official event (i.e.. charity, party, sports events, etc.) They just happened to find her on a country road? I think not.
Again, everyone is entitled to their opinion about Catherine, her work or her lack of work, whether or not William should marry her, does she party too much or not at all, etc BUT the fact remains everyone (even criminals) are entitled to certain rights and people because of their dislike (or like) of her are blowing it at of proportion. I mean, why not just deport the girl from England and be done with it.

Its a silly thing to say (deporting her from the country), but luckily no one was hurt and hopefully she has learned her lesson and we should all move on.

 

[Al_bina]

Miss Middleton talked on cellphone while driving. So many other people famous for various reasons did or do the same. Miss Middleton is unlikely to get a severe punishment as her misdemeanour might be viewed as minor. We can be full of righteous anger about Miss Middleton's transgression. However, nothing can be done about it. Although mass media and paparazzis can be blamed for the situation surrounding Miss Middleton, I do not think that the above factors are too mitigating, if factoring in the other famous people, who exist in the same environment.I find the attitude "Poor me" in such situations as invalid.

 

[Zonk]

Actually, I don't think Catherine has been on record as saying poor me, its more of her "supporters".

And honestly, that is my disagreement (in a friendly way of course) with the "non supporters", you would think they way some people acted she did an interview where she basically said something along the lines....i don't get out of bed unless its 10K a day, or please feel free sorry for me my life is awful, i am so tired I just got back from yet another vacation, etc.

She has said none of those things and yet she is blamed because some people feel that way on her behalf. The only time (to my knowledge that she complained) is when she filed those complaints with the Press office (not sure of the offical name) and honestly, some of that was very legit.

From all appearances, Catherine is very aware that by dating William she will attract some press...some of it favorable and some of it not. But please notice, that no one has disagreed with my statement that EVERYONE is entitled to some privacy. Are we saying because she is dating William that every aspect of her life is open for discussion?

Again, if she broke the law she broke the law and no one is above it...but is she not entitled to any degree of privacy?