The Earl and Countess of Snowdon and Family News 1: January 2017 -

[Spheno]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

That's great, but it's not Sarah's dress is it. I never said it didn't make sense that Sarah attended either.
Muriel said Catherine doesn't wear a lot of Dior which seemed to me like a need to attend this exhibit, as far as I'm aware neither does Sarah.

Also having Princess Margaret's dress on display, should be another reason Catherine could have gone.

It was Snowdon&Chatto type of events. It wasn't Catherine's type of events. Look at other guests.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

It’s a shame Catherine didn’t attend this event.

Originally Posted by muriel

Why would you have expected her to attend the event? She does not wear much Dior

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

No but she is patron of the V&A. I didn't realise it was a requirement that you have to wear Dior a lot to attend the event, Sarah Chatto definitely doesn't fit that criteria.

I did not suggest that wearing Dior was the criteria for attending, I merely queried if that was what you may be alluding to as the criteria.

Anyways, are you really suggesting that as a Patron of the V&A, she ought to attend every event held there? There are dozens of events, if not more, held every year at the V&A. What about events at the National Portrait Gallery or the Natural History Museum?

[Mirabel]

Of course Kate can't be expected to attend every event.

But the V&A patronage is new (I believe she is the first royal patron they've had) and this was an especially glittering event.

Kate's appearance would have given so much more publicity! But perhaps she was already committed to the Dundee trip.

[Osipi]

I think that should Kate have attended this function, it would have detracted from the Snowdens and the Chattos that were there because their mother's dress was part of the display. It was personal to them.

The right members of the house of Windsor were in attendance as far as I'm concerned.

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by muriel

are you really suggesting that as a Patron of the V&A, she ought to attend every event held there?

Where did I suggest she attend every event? I said it was a shame she didn't attend this one.

Originally Posted by Mirabel

Of course Kate can't be expected to attend every event.

But the V&A patronage is new (I believe she is the first royal patron they've had) and this was an especially glittering event.

Kate's appearance would have given so much more publicity! But perhaps she was already committed to the Dundee trip.

Thank you! It's a big exhibit with a royal connection. It would have been a great event, especially as she had attended the V&A opening in Dundee.

Originally Posted by Osipi

I think that should Kate have attended this function, it would have detracted from the Snowdens and the Chattos that were there because their mother's dress was part of the display. It was personal to them.

The right members of the house of Windsor were in attendance as far as I'm concerned.

Don't you mean shouldn't have gone?

[Rudolph]

Prince Philip did an interview a few years back and he talked about royal patronages. He said everyone is different. He said he has patronages where he meets once a year over a cup of tea and he said he has patronages where they want lots of involvement.

Royal patrons don’t make decisions for the organisation. They don’t have executive authority to make decisions.

Every patronage has different goals and expectations. Catherine’s private secretary was on the board of directors for Charities England, so she’s well versed on how this stuff works.

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

Don't you mean shouldn't have gone?

Actually, I meant that if Kate had showed up at this event, it would have detracted from the Snowdens and the Chattos being there. The focus would have been on Kate and not on the royal provenance of an article on display which were being viewed by said royal's children.

In other words, it was better for the Snowdens and the Chattos to be there than Kate.

Of course, just my opinion.

[Mirabel]

Originally Posted by Osipi

Actually, I meant that if Kate had showed up at this event, it would have detracted from the Snowdens and the Chattos being there. The focus would have been on Kate and not on the royal provenance of an article on display which were being viewed by said royal's children.

In other words, it was better for the Snowdens and the Chattos to be there than Kate.

Of course, just my opinion.

Better for whom?

NOT the V&A, and that is the entire point of having a royal patron, to draw attention to the organization and its events.

If Kate had been there, it would have been headlined in all the papers and generated a ton of publicity. That would have increased interest in the exhibit and benefited the museum.

[Lumutqueen]

Also on display is a replica of the dress Galliano designed for Diana to wear to the 1996 Met Ball. Even more reason for Catherine to go.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

Also on display is a replica of the dress Galliano designed for Diana to wear to the 1996 Met Ball. Even more reason for Catherine to go.

I am sure if she was interested, she would visit the exhibition privately.

[Princess Larisa]

Are people seriously missing the fact that on the same day Kate was opening a new V&A museum?
Personally, I feel the new museum needs more publicity that the super popular V&A in London or the very popular Dior exhibition. But to each their own.

[Heavs]

Originally Posted by Princess Larisa

Are people seriously missing the fact that on the same day Kate was opening a new V&A museum?
Personally, I feel the new museum needs more publicity that the super popular V&A in London or the very popular Dior exhibition. But to each their own.

It does seem a little strange that on the day Kate did a major thing for the V&A in Dundee of all places, she's being criticised for not attending a gala for the same in London. Sure I guess they could have gone but I don't think anyone can't say they weren't drawing attention to her patronage. I don't think the Dior exhibition is going to be in any danger of not attracting visitors.

[Ista]

If the V&A in London had wanted to have the Duchess of Cambridge there, I'm sure they would have worked to make that happen. Clearly it wasn't a priority (or perhaps on the radar at all). It may have been felt that Princess Margaret's children were the right people to be there, and that Lady Sarah Chatto and the Earl of Snowdon were their first pick.

I also can't imagine why seeing a replica of a dress that her dead mother in law wore would be so important that she absolutely had to be there, especially when Catherine wears Diana's most famous possession, her engagement ring, on a daily basis.

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by Mirabel

Better for whom?

NOT the V&A, and that is the entire point of having a royal patron, to draw attention to the organization and its events.

If Kate had been there, it would have been headlined in all the papers and generated a ton of publicity. That would have increased interest in the exhibit and benefited the museum.

But she was attending another V&A event, as the Royal Patron, at the V&A Museum of Design in Aberdeen--546 miles away from London. And then she and William had other events in Aberdeen.
Correction-Dundee, not Aberdeen.

[Princess Larisa]

Originally Posted by O-H Anglophile

But she was attending another V&A event, as the Royal Patron, at the V&A Museum of Design in Aberdeen--546 miles away from London. And then she and William had other events in Aberdeen.

They were in Dundee.

[Al_bina]

Originally Posted by eya

The Earl and Countess of Snowdon attend a gala dinner celebrating the opening of the 'Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams' exhibition at The V&A on 29 January in London

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos...e-id1125986288
https://media.gettyimages.com/photos...e-id1125984870
https://media.gettyimages.com/photos...e-id1125987329

With Lady Sarah Chatto and Daniel Chatto

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos...e-id1125984978

Thanks for the update!
It is great to see The Earl and Countess of Snowdon and the Chattos attending the exhibition. One assumes that the Dior collection contains pieces of fine craftsmanship to show Mr John Galliano's genius.

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by Princess Larisa

They were in Dundee.

Sheesh, I knew that. Thanks-not sure why I was thinking about Aberdeen. Anyway, a bit closer to London, but still 483 miles.

[Countessmeout]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

That's great, but it's not Sarah's dress is it. I never said it didn't make sense that Sarah attended either.
Muriel said Catherine doesn't wear a lot of Dior which seemed to me like a need to attend this exhibit, as far as I'm aware neither does Sarah.

Also having Princess Margaret's dress on display, should be another reason Catherine could have gone.

Why would Princess Margaret's dress be another draw for Kate??? Kate never knew the woman. She has no personal connection to her or any real known one to her kids.

She is a patron of not only the London location. She is patron of the V&A, which includes the new location. The grand opening of a brand new location of the museum is far more important event then the opening of an exhibit. One if she has any desire to see the dresses she can see later. I am sure the museum would rather her promote the new museum, get it PR.

Expecting her to fly from Dundee down to London for another event is a bit much. Not like the London event is crucial.


But why has this become a Kate thread. This is NOT a thread about Kate or even about the V&A. Its about the Earl and Countess and their events. Perhaps a debate on whether Kate should have been there or not, should be on Kate's current events thread.

[Mirabel]

Originally Posted by Heavs

It does seem a little strange that on the day Kate did a major thing for the V&A in Dundee of all places, she's being criticised for not attending a gala for the same in London. Sure I guess they could have gone but I don't think anyone can't say they weren't drawing attention to her patronage. I don't think the Dior exhibition is going to be in any danger of not attracting visitors.

It wasn't intended to be critical, and you make a good point.

It's just that, if you are having an event, have an EVENT!

[Lumutqueen]

I just said that it was a shame Catherine wasn't there. That's all.

Looks like a great exhibit, and lovely for David and Sarah to see their mums dress.