The drama is ON over at Queer Eye, and it’s all happening off camera! Hot on the heels of Netflix announcing that Jeremiah Brent would replace Bobby Berk as resident interior designer, Rolling Stone has published a deep dive into all the workplace fractures that led to this moment. Production sources pretty much singled out Jonathan Van Ness. Van Ness — whom Rolling Stone cited as using they/he/she pronouns; all pronouns excerpted below appear as printed in the article — provides the beauty & hairstyling expertise, and is arguably the show’s biggest breakout star personality. But it seems that luxuriously coiffed veneer has been hiding a short-tempered diva. Dun Dun DUN!

Boy band energy: “It’s not a new story that a boy band falls apart,” says one Queer Eye production member, who, like the others, requested anonymity, citing NDAs and career repercussions. “Essentially they were a group of people put together in their mid-thirties and told to be best friends. … That’s truly what it was: a manufactured boy band with big personalities that certain ones were favored and certain ones were not, and then eventually [things] turned really toxic.”

Sounds like Van Ness has some anger issues: Four Queer Eye production sources and three sources who worked with Van Ness said the reality star was terrible to work with, using words like “monster,” “nightmare,” and “demeaning” to describe them. Three people labeled Van Ness as emotionally “abusive” and having “rage issues,” and all seven sources said the star would lash out at crew members and people who worked closely with Van Ness. “[There’s] a real emotion of fear around them when they get angry. It’s almost like a cartoon where it oozes out of them,” one source who worked with Van Ness explains. “It’s intense and scary.”

The daily yell: “Jonathan’s a person who contains multitudes and who has the capacity to be very warm, very charismatic, and has the capacity to make you feel really special that they are paying attention to you,” one source who worked with Van Ness explains. “But at least once a day, they would need to yell at somebody. It might be something small, but there’s always going to be somebody to point out and blame and make the villain of the day.” … Other members could also be difficult at moments, but Van Ness stood out in terms of unprofessionalism, with his various moods dictating how the day would go, two sources say.

No real consequences: Netflix executives had at least one meeting with Van Ness over her behavior and treatment of the crew, two sources with knowledge tell Rolling Stone. Yet it seemed to result in little change, sources claim. “The apparatus of [the show’s production company] ITV and Netflix promotes Jonathan and actively rewards them for their bad behavior,” one of those sources adds. “There’s no accountability at all,” a third person who has worked with Van Ness says.

Shooting Season 8 in New Orleans was brutal: The schedule itself was intensive, filming from June to September with little downtime in humid temperatures. Crew members considered unionizing over alleged construction and safety issues due to rushed renovations, according to one show source. … And there were serious safety issues after assailants carjacked a production vehicle, yanking a production assistant from a SUV and taking off in her car, according to show sources and The Hollywood Reporter. Filming was halted for two days, and ITV hired additional security after the Fab Five threatened to walk away from the shoot if everyone’s safety wasn’t prioritized. … It all seemed like the perfect time to wind the series down. “After New Orleans, everyone was like, ‘I think we’re gonna end it,’” one production source recalls.

[From Rolling Stone]

Oh my goodness, Netflix should totally release a special The Making of Queer Eye Season 8: Big Struggle in the Big Easy. And applause to the executive producers for approving the transplant of five fiery personalities, plus an entire production crew, into a Gulf state… in the summer. There’s no tense situation that can’t be improved with humility humidity. No really, I went to NoLa in early May once and we were so hot and sticky that we voluntarily paid to see Alien: Covenant in a theater. Just to get into that AC!

As for Van Ness, am I surprised? No. But I’m still disappointed. Come on Jonathan, it takes more energy to throw a tantrum and make coworkers’ lives miserable than it does to treat people with kindness and respect. If I were Brent I would be checking with my lawyers right now to see if I had any wiggle room to back out.

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Photos credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman/Netflix, FayesVision/Wenn/Avalon, Faith Moran/Backgrid

It’s sort of going unnoticed because all of the royal stories are so bonkers lately, but People Magazine’s cover story this week is a pretty big swing. This is People Mag, the Windsors’ favorite American media outlet, the outlet specifically designed to parrot the palace’s talking points, actually criticizing the royal clownshow. People Mag got royal experts and royal skeptics on the record about how King Charles and the Princess of Wales have a duty to disclose much more about their dual illnesses. They also got William’s spokesperson on the record, arrogantly declaring that William’s “focus is on his work, not on social media.” All evidence to the contrary. Even the haphazard photo-op with Kate and Carole in an Audi on Monday didn’t sway People Magazine from running really pointed criticism of the chaotic messaging, the misinformation, the arrogance permeating through royal communications these days. Speaking of, People dropped another piece, specifically about Kate:

When Prince William abruptly pulled out of a planned outing to his godfather King Constantine of Greece’s memorial service on Feb. 27, concerns surrounding Kate Middleton’s health following abdominal surgery reached a fever pitch.

Despite the palace’s brief comment stating that the Princess of Wales, 42, “continues to be doing well” in her recovery, and her recent sighting during a car ride with her mother, Carole Middleton, this week, one palace insider describes the overall lack of information as complete “radio silence” regarding her condition.

Kensington Palace revealed on Jan. 17 that Princess Kate underwent a “planned” abdominal procedure the previous day without giving further information on the cause, noting the royal’s “wish that her personal medical information remains private.” They did note that the issue was non-cancerous and that Kate wasn’t expected to return to public royal duties until after Easter.

However, the lack of clarity about what led to the Princess of Wales’ abdominal surgery left a vacuum that has been filled with numerous conspiracy theories regarding her health and whereabouts. In response to this speculation, a spokesman reiterated on Feb. 29 that Kate would not be resuming public engagements until after Easter.

Still, Princess Kate’s presence is sorely missed, and Prince William has regularly received well wishes for his wife during his recent royal engagements.

“She is their MVP, without any doubt,” royal historian Amanda Foreman tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s cover story. “She is in so many ways the most like the late Queen.”

Adds royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, “She’s so central to the monarchy and the future.”

Princess Kate’s absence is exacerbated by King Charles also being largely out of the public eye as he receives cancer treatment. Similar to his daughter-in-law’s health, there have been few updates about the King’s condition.

“Everybody feels unsettled by uncertainty, and there is too much uncertainty that is surrounding the monarchy right now,” Bedell Smith tells PEOPLE.

“Queen Elizabeth used to say, ‘I need to be seen to be believed.’ It is important for Charles and his reign for the public to know a little bit more,” she adds.

[From People]

“Radio silence” is correct – Kensington Palace’s incompetent communications have made the situation so much worse. I don’t feel bad about all of the (crazy) conspiracies which have popped up in the past two months because they are the result of the amateurish, inept and downright clumsy Kensington Palace operation. None of this has inspired any confidence in William and Kate’s leadership in a crisis or any other time – they can’t problem-solve their way out of a wet paper bag. And even now, after global criticism for their two months of bungling, you know William refuses to change tack. It’s like the Caribbean Flop Tour all over again, only this time Kate was missing for 70 days and William is visibly drunk during daytime events.

Also: William’s not going to like that all of these people are talking about how Kate is the monarchy’s greatest asset.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images. Cover courtesy of People.

Before now, Jodie Turner Smith had not given any interviews following her sudden decision to file for divorce from Joshua Jackson last fall. She kept it clean – no social media games, no immaturity, no drama. She filed, lawyered up, stayed off social media and whatever is happening between them, there doesn’t seem to be anything spilling out in public. Well, Jodie is currently promoting several projects, all while working on Tro: Ares in Canada. She recently chatted with the Sunday Times about life, motherhood, work and divorce. She’s either become the most mature person in the world or she listened carefully to what her publicist told her to say about her divorce. Some highlights:

She’s booked & busy: “I feel like the world is my oyster. I’m pinching myself, it’s insane! I really love what I do. It excites me, it thrills me, it fulfils me. And I feel like there’s only more to come from it. All I want is to grow, get better, to learn from what I’ve done and to constantly move. And all the while make sure that I’m looking after myself and everyone around me.”

On parenting: “The most important thing, like in any relationship, is boundaries. I love how strong my daughter’s personality is and I don’t want to crush any part of that, but at the same time I want to teach her how to have respect for herself and for others. Everything really is for her. Women are always taught that we’re second class in so many ways, especially once we become mothers. You’re treated as if you now have limitations and it’s like, no, I’ve just done this amazing thing [giving birth] that shows me I’m actually one of the most amazing beings to ever walk the earth! And you’re treating me like I’m less?! Motherhood makes me more powerful. Now I know I am capable of so much, because I became a mother. Thank God I became a mother! Not only has it been revealed to me exactly how powerful I am, but it has also been revealed to me that I deserve the world.”

On her divorce from Joshua Jackson: “Sometimes things we really want to work just don’t end up working. And that’s OK. The most important thing is that you choose what’s healthiest for you and your family and definitely your children. There are so many different moments in our life where we look at ourselves and say, ‘Who am I and am I being true to that?’ If the answer is no, then you have to make a move because I believe that there are visible scars from staying in places that are not good for us. And they don’t just affect us, they affect everybody around us. I don’t think it’s a failure. We obviously had such a beautiful moment together. And now it’s time for a new moment for both of us. And how exciting! The bravest thing in the world is to recognise when something’s not working and to make a move, and I always want to set that kind of example for my daughter. The big takeaway is that this is about just as much love and joy as it has always been. This is only about taking a step forward into a better life for everybody involved.”

She’s not listening to the constant chatter online. “I’m not out here responding to everything that people say and people’s opinions because that’s a losing battle. At the end of the day I am not the only person in the world going through a divorce. There are millions of people in the world who are going through what I’m going through and that’s something that’s amazing about the internet, that sometimes it can offer you community.”

Single motherhood: She’s not on the lookout for another relationship, in case you were wondering. “I am a single mother and it is incredible. Right now is a sensitive time, the time for me to be focused on her. I’m enjoying not having to focus on a man. Men take up a lot of space!”

Her early days as a model: “Back then, if you were a black model you really needed to have an agent and an agency, and you needed to work very hard. It was much harder to get work. I was so f***ing thin and I was still being told by agencies in LA that I should think about getting lipo on my legs. I was 22 and tiny! Instagram has really changed things because people can be their own agencies in a way. We have so much more inclusivity now. Models with disabilities, models that have vitiligo, size inclusivity — it’s just better.”

[From The Times]

“The bravest thing in the world is to recognise when something’s not working and to make a move.” I agree that it’s brave to say “I’m not happy here” and figure out a way to get out of the situation. It sort of reminds me of Adele’s marriage and divorce – no one really knew why she and Simon split, like there wasn’t one really obvious “reason,” and then Adele made it clear that she was unhappy in the marriage. Of course, I think it was probably more complicated in Jodie and Joshua’s case, but again, I’m impressed with the way Jodie has handled everything for months and how she’s handling it here.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

In a Bustle interview published this week – which I will cover separately – Dakota Johnson made some rare comments about Chris Martin and his kids with Gwyneth Paltrow. Chris and Dakota have been together for six years or so and they’re rarely seen together, but they’ve been living together for a while and Gwyneth often refers to Dakota as part of her extended family. In her Bustle interview, Dakota talked about how much she loves Chris and their life together, and she referred to Apple and Moses as her “stepkids.” She also said nice things about Gwyneth. I genuinely believe that they’re all one big happy family. So, are Dakota and Chris engaged?

Chris Martin is in paradise with Dakota Johnson. The Coldplay lead vocalist asked the actress for her hand in marriage “a while ago,” according to the Mirror.

“They have been besotted with each other from day one so taking this next step was inevitable,” a source claimed to the publication Wednesday. “They are in no rush to plan the wedding but are just enjoying making their commitment official.”

The couple also reportedly has the approval of Martin’s ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, who last October said she is “good friends” with the “Madam Web” star and described her as “an adorable, wonderful person.”

Representatives for Martin, Paltrow and Johnson did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.

The pair have been linked since 2017 but briefly split in 2019. Johnson, the daughter of actor Don Johnson and Academy Award-nominated actress Melanie Griffith, sparked engagement rumors in 2020 when she was photographed with a sizeable emerald ring on her left ring finger.

[From Page Six]

For what it’s worth, Dakota did not seem to be wearing an engagement ring when she promoted Madame Web last month. It’s not like that’s the most important indicator or whatever, but I believe that if they’re engaged, it’s more loosey-goosey and bohemian than all of this. They live together, they’ve been together for years, they probably already feel married, Dakota clearly feels like his kids are her stepkids, etc. Dakota also comes from a pretty chaotic family with half-siblings and step-siblings and stepparents and all of that, so it feels likely that she’s like “everybody’s family, we don’t need a ring or a piece of paper.”

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

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You know what, I really have no one to blame but myself for thinking a lawsuit related to the lyrics of “Hotel California” would follow any kind of logical outcome. Two weeks ago a trial began against three rare book and memorabilia dealers who were charged with conspiring to sell stolen property: hundreds of legal pad pages with “Hotel California” lyrics handwritten by Eagles band member Don Henley. The defendants obtained the pages from a writer who was legally contracted by the Eagles in 1979 to write a book on the band which was never published. Quite honestly, it seemed like a slam dunk case. Only now we’ve learned that Henley finally turned over 6,000 pages of documents — halfway through the trial — that completely back up the defendants, leading the judge to dismiss the case entirely. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim…

Case dismissed: At a hearing Wednesday, a New York judge dismissed the charges after prosecutors alerted him that newly uncovered evidence cast doubt on whether Henley’s notes had been stolen in the first place — the core defense advanced by Glenn Horowitz, Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski. The disclosures came mid-way through a closely-watched criminal trial against the three men, in which Henley and longtime Eagles manager Irving Azoff had already testified.

Privilege, obfuscation, & manipulation: The sudden reversal was sparked by Henley producing new evidence that had been previously withheld under attorney-client privilege. The new materials touched on whether a journalist hired in the 1970s to write a book about the Eagles, Ed Sanders, had legitimately come into possession of Henley’s notes. At a hearing in open court on Wednesday, Justice Curtis Farber sharply criticized Henley and Azoff’s conduct: “It is now clear that both witnesses and their lawyers … used the privilege to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging to their position that the lyric sheets were stolen.” The judge said he was also troubled that prosecutors had been “manipulated” into bringing the charges, and questioned why they had not more thoroughly vetted the accusations and the evidence. But he praised them for dropping the case once new evidence had come to light.

Eating humble pie: “Albeit late, I commend the prosecution for refusing to allow itself or the courts to be further manipulated for the benefit of anyone’s personal gain,” Farber said. “District Attorney Bragg and the prosecutorial team here, while eating a slice of humble pie, are displaying the highest level of integrity in moving to dismiss the charges. I am impressed.”

The opposite of humble pie: In a statement to Billboard following Wednesday’s hearing, Henley’s attorney Dan Petrocelli said: “The attorney-client privilege is a foundational guardrail in our justice system, and rarely, if ever, should you have to forsake it to prosecute or defend a case. As the victim in this case, Mr. Henley has once again been victimized by this unjust outcome. He will pursue all his rights in the civil courts.”

‘Jarringly late disclosures’: But at Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Farber said that Henley had recently handed over more than 6,000 new pages of emails and other disclosures that contained new information about how Sanders came to own the notes. Such “jarringly late disclosures” violated Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinski’s constitutional rights, the judge said. “A review of these newly disclosed materials has demonstrated and highlighted Mr. Henley and Mr. Azoff’s use of the privilege to shield themselves from a thorough and complete cross-examination,” Justice Farber said at the hearing.

[From Billboard]

I am not a practicing attorney. But I did attend the law school of My Cousin Vinny University, so even I know “it’s called disclosure, you d–khead!” It’s not the treachery that shocks me here. No, that I’d expect from a successful rockstar and his longtime manager. What I find stunning is the level of amateur hour going on, and from all sides! No one comes out of this looking good (except maybe the judge). The three defendants are on record as having changed their story about how they obtained the pages, and for asking Sotheby’s to conceal the pages’ contested ownership. Now Henley and Azoff (who really is a major player in the music industry) have been publicly outed for trying to weasel out of the basic trial procedure of disclosure. And I agree with the judge’s admonition of the Manhattan prosecutors, too. How did it get this far with so much missing material?!

I’ll say this, though: last week I made a plea for a swift resolution to this case, out of fear that the lyrics of “Hotel California” would check out but never leave my head. Victory for me! Until those voices call from far away, wake me up in the middle of the night— NO! Cease and desist you unfathomable song, you!

Embed from Getty Images

Photos credit: Getty, Ron Sachs/Aude Guerrucci/POOL/startraksphoto.com and Ron Sachs / Avalon, Aude Guerrucci/Mr Tickle/John Marshall/Avalon

It’s still shocking to me that two months into the Windsors’ dual health crises, Prince William is still playing fast and loose with his schedule and refusing to stand in for his father at important events. For the last two decades of her life, Queen Elizabeth II regularly handed off tours, trips, funerals, weddings, speeches, church services and anniversary events to her heir. Then-Prince Charles traveled constantly and he was endlessly stepping in for his mother. There was never any discussion about “well, Prince Philip can fill in for QEII at this state funeral or Commonwealth speech.” No – that’s the job for an heir. During her final Easter holiday in 2022, QEII even gave the Royal Maundy service to Charles and Camilla – that’s where the monarch (or heir, that year) passes out special “Maundy money” to peasants. Well, now that King Charles is too ill to attend the Maundy service, the palace is sending Queen Camilla in her husband’s place. Not Charles’s heir – the king’s wife.

Queen Camilla has a date with royal history on her calendar in the coming weeks. On Monday, Worcester Cathedral announced that the Queen, 76, will distribute the Royal Maundy gifts on behalf of King Charles at the Royal Maundy Service on March 28.

While Queen Camilla has participated in the Royal Maundy Service with her husband before, she will become the first consort to lead the ancient tradition, the Daily Mail reported. King Charles, 75, has postponed public-facing duties while receiving cancer treatment, and the outlet described his anticipated absence at the Maundy service as “the most significant royal event” he will miss to date.

The Worcester Cathedral team shared a festive message about Queen Camilla’s upcoming visit after the news was announced.

“We are SO excited to announce that we will be welcoming Her Majesty The Queen to the Cathedral on Maundy Thursday (28 March) as we host the Royal Maundy service,” officials wrote on X on Monday, posting a photo of the ancient church and the coins that will be awarded.

[From People]

Again, this is the kind of thing which should be assigned to the heir! I guess the problem is twofold: the heir is a lazy, violent drunk AND the heir loathes religion and anything having to do with churches, so William had a plethora of excuses for why he refused to do this. Dust off the orthopedic wedges and your finest church tarp, Camilla is breaking new ground as the first consort to do this very special thing. People might start asking if there’s a point to the special blood club if any old married-in consort can take over like this. Don’t forget, Camilla is also leading the royal contingent on Commonwealth Day next week, and William is now “confirmed” to appear at Westminster Abbey as well. Let’s see if he cancels.

Photos courtesy of Instar, Cover Images.

Before Sir Michael Gambon’s passing last year, the only time I ever wrote about him in a gossipy way was back in 2009, when I came across a story about how his established mistress had just given birth to their second child together. Gambon had been married to his British-aristocrat wife, Lady Anne Gambon, since 1962, and they have a son, Fergus Gambon. He had also established a second family with his mistress Philippa Hart and they had two sons, Tom and Will. Lady Anne lives in the Gambon country estate, while Philippa and their two teenage sons live in London. Well, Sir Michael passed away last September, and his will has just become public. He left everything to his wife and eldest son, and nothing much to his mistress and their sons.

Sir Michael Gambon has handed over his £1.5million estate to his wife – leaving nothing to the long-term girlfriend with whom he had two teenage sons. The Dumbledore actor famously shared his time between Lady Anne Gambon and set designer Phillipa Hart 25 years his junior. After his death last September aged 82, his will has been published today, showing almost the entire fortune has passed to Lady Anne.

She is listed as an executor along with her son, Fergus, 60, by the star who appeared in six Harry Potter movies as Hogwarts headteacher Prof Albus Dumbledore. Provision was made for the £1,465,882 fortune to pass to Fergus if his mother had died before her husband.

Meanwhile Ms Hart, who lived openly with Sir Michael in a West London townhouse, does not receive her penny in the will which was drawn up and signed in 2016. She had two children with the actor – Tom, 17, and 15-year-old William, who each received just £10,000 and a trophy, according to the three-page document. They are both given a silver heart Variety Club of Great Britain stage actor award – the eldest getting the one awarded to his dad in 1987, while the youngest gets the trophy presented in 2000.

Ms Hart declined to tell the Daily Mail if she was aware she had been left out of the will. Speaking from her £1.5million Victorian terraced four-bed, she said: ‘It’s none of my business. I really don’t want to talk about this.’

Fergus also declined to comment when approached at their £5million Grade II listed family mansion in Meopham, Kent. He said of his mother: ‘She won’t want to speak to you.’

Sir Michael died in September last year aged 82 following a bout of pneumonia, with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside.

[From The Daily Mail]

This is just a reminder that the only thing that separates the trailer park and the upper-crust is money. Money buys the thin veneer of “respectability.” But even they can’t hide their completely trashy behavior. To start a whole other family and then leave your mistress and your “other” children next to nothing? £10,000 and a trophy, while the wife and eldest son get everything? The absolute shenanigans of this. It also makes me wonder WTF is in all of those secret royal wills. I’d still like to know how Prince Philip got such a large estate and what kind of money he bequeathed to his special friend and companion Penny.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Bradley Cooper has been dating Gigi Hadid since the SAG-AFTRA strike last year. They haven’t really been hiding at all – I mean, the point of a stunt couple is to be seen and talked about, so there have been candid “street” photos of them out and about in New York this whole time. At the end of February, suddenly there was an influx of new candid photos too, which I’m including in this post. They were out together on consecutive days, in broad daylight, going out to lunch and stopping by each other’s places and hailing cabs and more. The point is that they’re together and they’re a real couple and this was never part of an Oscar campaign nor was it some stunt-queenery from either of them! And now our reward: Bradley will “hard launch” his relationship with Gigi at the Oscars.

Bradley Cooper is preparing to “hard launch” his relationship with Gigi Hadid at the Oscars, Page Six is told. Cooper — who’s nominated on Sunday for “Maestro” — is expected to attend the Vanity Fair party with his supermodel girlfriend, friends say.

The couple has kept a relatively low profile since they started dating in October. But things are heating up. One source who knows Hadid told us, “It’s definitely getting more serious, they are totally into each other.”

Other sources said that Hadid, 28, will join Cooper, 49, at the lavish Oscars after-parties, as another insider said, “I don’t know if they will walk the Vanity Fair carpet together, but they will join up inside.”

And don’t expect to see Hadid on the red carpet at Hollywood’s biggest night because Cooper always brings his beloved mom, Gloria Campano. Hadid has met Campano, however, as she joined Campano and Cooper after the Golden Globes in January for dinner at trendy eatery Giorgio Baldi in LA. And Campano has been spotted wearing a pair of sneakers from Hadid’s Guest in Residence range.

Although the star’s 6-year-old daughter Lea De Seine – who has a cameo in “Maestro” playing Bernstein’s young daughter – made her public debut at the film’s LA premiere in December, she won’t be attending the Oscars.

[From Page Six]

I’m not surprised that Lea isn’t going to the Oscars, she’s pretty young for all of that. I’m not surprised that Mama Gloria is his Oscar date again, and I can’t wait to see what she’s wearing. Will Gloria demand to go to the VF Oscar party? Imagine those visuals – Gloria on one side, Gigi on the other. Ah, well. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Bradley and Gigi do a “hard launch” at the VF party, actually – but just know that they’ve been soft-launching their coupledom for months and months already. How many launches does one stunt relationship need?

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.

Prince William actually did two days of “work” late last week – last Thursday, he visited a synagogue in London, and on Friday (St. David’s Day), he did shots with Rob McElhenney in Wrexham and then staggered off to visit an elementary school. He “had” to do those appearances last week to quell the unrest after he pulled out an appearance at his godfather’s memorial service at the last minute. William has not done a stitch of work since St. David’s Day, last Friday. No appearances, no phone calls, no investitures, nothing. Even Kate had to roll out of bed to do the fakakta school run on Monday, apparently. On Tuesday, Sky News reported that William was “off” again this week:

Prince William is set to take almost two weeks off from royal duties again with the royal diary showing zero engagements for William until the middle of March. William, 41, made just one engagement last week after pulling out of two major events at the last minute over what Kensington Palace called a “personal matter”.

The last-minute scratching of engagements sparked a media frenzy and renewed concerns about his wife Princess Catherine’s health. Since the Princess underwent abdominal surgery at the London clinic in January, coincidentally the same hospital where King Charles underwent the prostate surgery that showed he had cancer, the palace has provided little update on Kate’s condition.

[From Sky News]

There was clapback from Kensington Palace immediately, with Richard Palmer and other reporters insisting that William is supposed to do something “later this week.” Meaning, I suppose, William will be seen on Thursday or Friday. If he waits until Friday, he really did take another “week off” because, again, he hasn’t been seen since March 1. I’ve been looking through the royal reporters’ tweets to see if William is scheduled to do anything today or what he has planned for “later this week,” and they’re not saying. It’s all very interesting, especially with Camilla jetting off on holiday and Kate make a sudden appearance on Monday. WTF is actually going on at Kensington Palace?

The Prince of Wales will be out on public duty later this week, despite reports that he has taken another week off, a royal source says.

— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) March 5, 2024

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

I genuinely love all of the conspiracies this week about the Ministry of Defense suddenly “confirming” that the Princess of Wales would lead a Trooping the Colour event in June. The MoD tweeted that out on Tuesday because they were trying to sell advance tickets to a “troop inspection” as part of the whole Trooping weekend in June. After the MoD tweeted it out, Kensington Palace freaked out and threw a tantrum about how THEY have not confirmed Kate’s appearance anywhere, thank you very much. KP was so mad, they made the Ministry of Defense delete all of their claims that Kate would be ready to make public appearances in June.

The army has removed a claim that the Princess of Wales will lead the Trooping the Colour event in June after she has returned to royal duties following abdominal surgery. The Ministry of Defence announced earlier on its website that Kate would lead the major royal event, which will take place on Saturday, June 8. The announcement was made because of Kate’s role as Colonel of the Irish Guards, which is the regiment trooping its colour this year.

But Kensington Palace did not confirm that the princess would be taking part, and the army did not ask royal officials for approval before publishing the notice.

Kate is continuing with her recovery after she had abdominal surgery at the start of the year, and is not expected to return to full royal duties until after Easter.

Later on Tuesday the army updated the event description to remove references to Kate.

[From LBC]

Katie Nicholl at Vanity Fair underlined the point in her Vanity Fair coverage, that aides at KP “have not confirmed her attendance, pointing out that that information can only be confirmed by the palace.” Sources “close to Kate” also told Nicholl that Kate “is not being hurried into any official engagement and there is no pressure for her to return to work until she is fully fit. Much of the princess’s work with her Shaping Us campaign has continued while she is recuperating, and it is hoped that any canceled appearances will be rescheduled when she is well enough to return.” There’s so much hilarious stuff happening all at once – Shaping Us is just busywork designed around Kate’s laziness, so of course it’s “continuing” in Kate’s absence, because there’s no there there. It’s like a hamster on a wheel. Secondly, KP sources have been trying to dampen expectations about Kate AND William all week, like they’re both going to spend 2024 doing next to nothing.

Photos courtesy of Instar.