William and Kate: engagement and relationship rumours and musings 2009

[Warren]

The photos are the trimmings, read the story instead. Koo Stark is an interesting woman and she has provided some personal insights into fame and public scrutiny and related these experiences to how Kate Middleton might feel and might be handling the pressure.

Koo Stark has been impeccably discreet for the 25 years since her relationship (though not friendship) with Prince Andrew ended, despite lucrative media offers to sell her story and her current financial worries. That says something about the woman.

Some quotes from Koo Stark in the Mail Online link posted by georgiea:

It’s a fine balancing act between acknowledging that you are in the public eye, so your behaviour will be under constant scrutiny, and just living your life like everyone else.

Kate is in a position where she’s famous but unknown – an enigma. We don’t know her voice or her opinions on anything– yet – so she maintains an iconic presence and a certain allure.

Kate has probably also realised, as I did, that she has become a kind of theatrical entertainment. That’s what the public is looking for.

But the fact remains that she will never be able to make a first impression on anyone she meets. For everyone will already have a first impression of who she is. That’s just a fact of being famous.

Kate looks as if she’s enjoying herself, and so she should. She should enjoy being young and keep a cool head. And it looks like a pretty cool head to me.

 

[Menarue]

When I said I wished that Kate wouldn´t end up in the same way as Koo what I meant was that Koo had a troubled life, cancer, marital troubles, a silly film she made spoiled her royal romance when it really was probably nothing much at all.
Now she is supposed to be homeless, in a luxury hotel but homeless none the less.
When she was dating her royal prince no one thought it would end that way. It seems she was well liked by the family too, so it is a shame.
Actually as far as looks are concerned I find that she and Kate Middleton look very much alike.

 

[Luv2Cruise]

And that's where the similarities begin and end. Kate Middleton is nothing like this woman. And modeling what she did in a university fashion show is in no way a) equivalent or b) scandalous.

Thank you Charlotte1, for describing what was widely reported about Kate's participation in the fashion show. Absolutely nothing wrong with what she MODELED FOR CHARITY (equivalent to a bikini).

 

[Menarue]

You think it was perfectly acceptable for her to model underwear, yes these days they are very similar to bikinis, and in front of an audience of college students too,of course we know that not a lewd thought would be found among them. Well she did it, got the attention she wanted but probably regrets it now, charity or not.

 

[Amelia]

Of course it was perfectly acceptable for her to model underwear, it is perfectly acceptable for any woman to do so if they choose to. It was a university fashion show for charity, a part of it involved modelling underwear and a part of it involved modelling clothes. If this is the most ‘scandalous’ thing that she has ever done in her life, then she is not doing so bad and personally I hope she doesn’t regret it.

 

[MARG]

You think it was perfectly acceptable for her to model underwear, yes these days they are very similar to bikinis . . . . . . . .

Whenever I see underwear ads these days I always snicker to myself and mentally replay a very funny TV ad. ''

Picture if you will a 90lb weakling type wearing Speedo togs (Not a good look), walking up the beach and over the road. A commentator is saying. "Togs, togs, togs' then a bus passes behind him and the commentator is saying, "undies, undies, undies" and then "togs, togs, togs, e c, when the bus has passed.

It just reminds me that life is perception and if we look for the evils in life we will surely find them!

 

[Menarue]

Of course it was perfectly acceptable for her to model underwear, it is perfectly acceptable for any woman to do so if they choose to. It was a university fashion show for charity, a part of it involved modelling underwear and a part of it involved modelling clothes. If this is the most ‘scandalous’ thing that she has ever done in her life, then she is not doing so bad and personally I hope she doesn’t regret it.

I agree, there is nothing wrong with Miss Kate Middleton modelling underwear.....it starts to become a problem when we think it may be the future Queen of England. Look at the fuss in Spain when a photo was taken, at a distance, of Princess Letizia in a bikini when she was on holiday.

 

[Jo of Palatine]

I agree, there is nothing wrong with Miss Kate Middleton modelling underwear.....it starts to become a problem when we think it may be the future Queen of England. Look at the fuss in Spain when a photo was taken, at a distance, of Princess Letizia in a bikini when she was on holiday.

That brings back memories of an old anecdote - once, in the 1830ties, the industrial revolution had modernised a lot of crafts in Britain, especially when it came to cloth and clothes. Notably the production of silk stockings allowed for new qualities and designs. The king was so proud of the quality made in Britain that he gave the queen of Spain some of the stockings as a gift. The stockings arrived safely in Madrid but were returned to the British embassy with the comment: "The queen of Spain has no legs."

Do we still have opinions like that? I am much more "shocked" by a picture of the current Queen of the UK in her bed surrounded by her kids than I am by a pic of Catherine Middleton wearing underwear on a fashion catwalk.

 

[Menarue]

The photograph that shocked you was taken by Prince Philip and stolen, I think it is normal for a husband to take a photograph of his wife and new born baby with his other children it was for the family album and not for publication. The shocking part is that it was stolen and then published.

 

[Mermaid1962]

Personally, I thought that the underwear worn under the sheer lace dress was more modest than the bikinis modeled in the average catalogue.

Of course it was perfectly acceptable for her to model underwear, it is perfectly acceptable for any woman to do so if they choose to. It was a university fashion show for charity, a part of it involved modelling underwear and a part of it involved modelling clothes. If this is the most ‘scandalous’ thing that she has ever done in her life, then she is not doing so bad and personally I hope she doesn’t regret it.

 

[Menarue]

It is not scandalous, it is just not very tasteful. Actually the underwear under the sheer bit of material looked quite tacky and as was pointed out she did it because she chose to and probably if she could go back she would choose not to.
There is no comparison to a bikini that is being worn at the beach to parading on a catwalk in front of your peers, whether the excuse is charity or not, it is not very dignified, whichever way you look at it.

 

[iakynthi]

It looks as if Kate never changed her habbits,though.Considering the fact that she usually starts appearing sexy every time William seems to be "somewhere else",as we say,I don't think she has ever regreted the underwear-thing

 

[Amelia]

Saying the fashion show was for charity is not an excuse it is simply a fact. It was a charity fashion show put on by the students of St Andrews for the students of St Andrews and I don’t find a single thing tasteless or undignified about any of those who gave up their time and modelled in the show. I hope a good time was had by all involved in the show that happened over 6 years ago now.

 

[Odette]

It looks to me like the movie "Ground Hog Day" The same story over and over and nothing new or different. It is becoming sort of boring actually!!! I wish either Kate or William would decide to do something else for a change.

 

[iakynthi]

Like what?Grow up,for example?

 

[Lady Ann]

Lets not assume to know what Miss Middleton would go back and probably do over because we dont know. I think the diffrence here is the opinion on what is dignified and or tasteful and who's opinion it is ...besides I thought I read that Prince William took notice of her there. So why go back and redo something that got you what you wanted in the first place...I know you will disagree with me Menaure but that is part of the fun.

 

[Ella Kay]

I think all of this is going to be a matter of personal opinion, just like almost everything we discuss in this thread, it seems. You may think what Kate did was not tasteful and undignified, but that's your view on the matter. Some of the rest of us may feel that modeling in the show was not in bad taste. The bottom line is that none of us are the arbiters of good behavior or taste for royals or their significant others.

 

[Menarue]

I agree with the position that it is not unusual for a college girl to parade around in her underwear under the excuse it is a beauty contest or fashion show for charity.
A Miss K. Middleton doing this would not be a problem at all, it was at the moment that she attracted the Prince, and the public´s opinion that it became a bit of an embarassment especially as there are so many people of the opinion that she will be eventually married to Prince William making her the successor to the Queen mother.
If she stays in the position she now seems to be in there will be no problem but she might find it a little embarassing if she does marry him and these photos are published now and again because whatever you say they are a bit tacky.

 

[muriel]

This is all beginning to sound like a broken record..... repeating the same things, rehashing the same information whose authenticity nobody can really vouch for, the same holier than thou attitude, attempting to foist social norms on royals that British society at large does not follow any more....... .... all very boring, IMO!

 

[muriel]

Like what?Grow up,for example?

Iakynthi - In what facets of their lives would you like William & Kate to "Grow up,for example"?

 

[Skydragon]

I don't think she has ever regreted the underwear-thing

Why should she, it's not as if she posed as a page three girl, it was a simple semi sheer dress, much as you see everyday in the street.

 

[Warren]

This is all beginning to sound like a broken record..... repeating the same things, rehashing the same information...

Once again, there are events which some members just can't get over and will rehash at any opportunity.

The "Kate Middleton models underwear" story has been done to death.
It happened many years ago.
There is nothing that can be said that hasn't already been said, many times over.
It has become tedious and boring.
It is time to draw the line on this topic.

thanks,
Warren
British Forums moderator

 

[Menarue]

I can´t find anything in this girl to make me think she would make a good Queen so I will leave it to others to give her a full time job, discretion, impeccable credentials etc.
I think she would be absolutely admirable as Mrs Millionaire or Mrs Top Executive or even the President of Party Pieces, but there is no way that I think she will be a suitable Queen of England.... can´t help it, so over and out.

 

[lillas]

I don't think we should be so hard on Kate. She seems to be a decent girl, modern living life the way she is supposed to. Maybe prince willliams loves her. It is one of the reasons why she has been around for this long!!!

 

[Jo of Palatine]

The photograph that shocked you was taken by Prince Philip and stolen, I think it is normal for a husband to take a photograph of his wife and new born baby with his other children it was for the family album and not for publication. The shocking part is that it was stolen and then published.

No, it was published with permission. It's in Giles Brandreth's book about Elizabeth and Philip - and this is semi-official, as the DoE talked to Brandreth and allowed his friends to do so as well.

 

[Menarue]

At the time it was published it was supposed to have made the royal family very angry that a private photo taken was published, I remember this well, after it has been published in a newspaper I don´t suppose it matters iit appears in a book, everyone has seen it. An after the horse has bolted kind of situation.

 

[Jo of Palatine]

At the time it was published it was supposed to have made the royal family very angry that a private photo taken was published, I remember this well, after it has been published in a newspaper I don´t suppose it matters iit appears in a book, everyone has seen it. An after the horse has bolted kind of situation.

But I doubt Catherine thought that pics of her of this rather private catwalk event would make international headlines either or give people a chance to condemn her for inappropriateness.

 

[Menarue]

Of course not, I said I bet she regrets it now.

 

[Iluvbertie]

No, it was published with permission. It's in Giles Brandreth's book about Elizabeth and Philip - and this is semi-official, as the DoE talked to Brandreth and allowed his friends to do so as well.

When it was first published in the 60s it was because it had been stolen (the negatives were sent out for developing and someone made extra copies I believe). I had (may still have it but wouldn't know where now) a book published in either the 60s or 70s with this photo in it and also had a copy of a newspaper with it in it and the story. My grandmother used to keep any stories about the royals and put them in a scrapbook but unfortunately nearly 60 years of such stories were destroyed when my parents house was damaged by fire in the late 70s. The room where we kept Nana's things was one of the rooms destroyed so we lost a lot of her royal memorabilia along with family records etc.

Having therefore been in the public sphere for so long permission was given for Giles Brandeth to include the photo in his book.

 

[lyndaW]

Okay, I sort-of agree about what happened 6-years ago, BUT she has been photographed numerous times in un-lady-like poses since.......actually quite a few of them...........I'm sure this is not the image her Majesty the Queen approves of