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tricia freeman's avatar

Thank you for this!!!!! It has needed to be said for far too long and will, none the less, need to be repeated again..... and again.

An old saying.... if you can't say something nice, say nothing at all, should be emblazened across those that are quick to criticize....

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Michelle Cahill's avatar

Jane, you are so right. I assume that the people who buy into these conspiracy theories and spread them, must have very little lives with very little going on in them!

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Alejandra Campos's avatar

Amazing points!! This newsletter is something to reflect on, so appreciate the clarity and breakdown

Catherine is the least protected of the royals and is this silence that makes her a huge target. And before pp start with the "silence is the best weapon, etc" no, it is not at least in certain cases. Years ago Victoria and Daniel released a statement saying the rumors of their divorce were fake. As it turns out Estelle, their daughter, had read it on a magazine and asked them if it was true. So V&D fought back. KP should defend C more but why haven't they done it for decades is :/

As for Chanel, it was Coco Chanel the woman, who was an antisemitist but the brand had heavy investements by the Wertheimer family, before and after the war. They were/are Jewish and Chanel, the company, has donated millions to Israel after the war. So C choosing a Chanel bag was a subtle was of showing support to Jews + add the pearl necklace sourced from a Jewish company

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Lisa Delgrosso's avatar

I think it's time for the BRF to be able to comment on some of the more egregious stories that are written about them. Catherine does NOT need to speak on what type of cancer she had, but a small comment on the horrendous gossip that went on last year could be huge & maybe, just maybe, let pp know she was aware of it all, it was distressing to her, William & the children, & that pp should think before writing.

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Brown paper bag's avatar

No one with a fully functioning brain gives a fuck

.

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D.L.Stone's avatar

With a targets like the Trumps, in the world, that anyone would waste two seconds picking on Catherine is utterly beyond me! Please throw your pen at somebody who deserves it!

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Noly Garland's avatar

Thank you for this.

She is a genuine, kind, caring person. Like many others in the public eye, when they don’t respond, acknowledge…seems to get worse. Agree with every word you posted.

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Judith Dolan's avatar

Perfectly said. Catherine has class, grace, and integrity. She is doing her best to give her family the balance of royal duties and a close family life. They will grow up to be kind caring compassionate people.

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David Gemeinhardt's avatar

I support the Princess of Wales's decision not to identify her clothes. Let fashion journalists do their jobs -- in other words, do the research -- if they want to publish those details. The line between celebrity and royalty needs to be re-drawn.

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Betts's avatar

It’s a bit more nuanced for me. We should absolutely not judge anyone’s appearance ever, and the media has always deemed women’s bodies fair game. Cancer survivors absolutely deserve empathy and grace. But I think it actually does Kate a disservice to state that she has no agency here, that she and palace PR have not used clothing and appearance at times as tools to craft an image and relationship with the public. A relationship that also benefits Kate.

Specifically, focusing on clothes and appearance (which - while the negative criticism is there and real - has had A LOT of positive engagement) redirects from the real issue with Kate (and William) - the work. Are they able and willing to do the work that their role requires? And if we start focusing on that question, then we have to ask what is the role of the monarchy in 2025 and what is the value that taxpayers/citizens really get for their money/representation?

The questions about work and value extend far before Kate’s cancer diagnosis, so I’m not making that statement as a judgement for her work during her cancer treatments or recovery. It’s pretty easy to look at something like the Early Years and see years of press and no real accomplishments. But because Kate meets the public demand of princess as a pretty white woman with pretty clothes, there are a lot of people who don’t look too closely at the rest.

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Anne Harriss's avatar

Bravo! Well said!

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Susan's avatar

I would love to hear how Charles is rewearing a coat he's had for 40 years. I think that information would be amazing for sustainability and that he is, quite possibly, just like us. If they could tell us the original price and how much spent on refurbishing it over the years- could you imagine??

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Charlestoo's avatar

No, we don't!

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Rockman2's avatar

This is America. Who gives a sh—?

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Sue Heath's avatar

LEAVE HER ALONE

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Deirdre LaMotte's avatar

I am appalled at the rage against The Duchess of Wales. Not being apart of social media, except this forum, I had no idea

people spent time opining her. Kate is a mother, married to the future King so I see the appeal for people’s interest.

But, seriously? Do we all not have enough going on in our lives, especially with an obnoxious authoritarian Administration, to keep us busy? Who in their right mind judges Kate, and I will add Megan to the mix. Let them be themselves and let us deal with the horrible situation we have with our now fledgling democracy.

We all have our own paths in life. Let us respect that.

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Emmy's avatar

I've always especially thought comments about her clothes were plain stupid. In some articles you can read one paragraph describing her outfit, and decrying how expensive it is, and in the next paragraph a comment about how she's worn it before to another occasion, in a sort of sneering way. Or that she's worn something simple from Top Shop that sold out shortly after. That seems a good thing to me, she's showcasing an English business and they sold out of the thing she showcased.

Conversely, I really like reading the articles that point out an item she's own and worn since high school (a pair of boots she particularly likes comes to mind) and how she styles older pieces with newer pieces, because she's very good at that and makes nice clothing choices.

And all the clothes aside - which certainly don't define her, but are fun to look at - I love reading about how much she loves her family and how kind she is. I wish her well, and am glad she is feeling better.

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