The headlines this week have been along the lines of “Prince William’s paternity leave is over!!” His paternity leave is not over. He doesn’t have to go back to his real job, training to be an air ambulance pilot, until June 1st. But this week, William has been making some royal appearances. He was in Switzerland on Monday for “meetings” about his work with United for Wildlife. Then he was back in England yesterday, handing out MBEs at Windsor Castle. And these photos are of William today at St. George’s Park National Football Centre to send off the England Senior Women’s football team (the team will be playing at the World Cup).

Obviously, Duchess Kate was not with William for any of these appearances. She just gave birth on May 2nd! No one expected her to be there, and as I’ve said before, we should just settle in for a long summer with no new Duchess Kate appearances. She’s going to be in Anmer Hall with the babies and her mum for the rest of the year. At yesterday’s appearance, William was asked about Kate and baby Charlotte. When William awarded the MBE to Brinsley Forde, William and Forde chatted about their babies. William apparently told Forde: “She’s fine, she’s good.” And there is your update about Princess Charlotte. As for Kate…The Daily Mail had this excellent story about Kate and how she’s “the prickly princess”. Cough.

Having provided the Windsors with ‘an heir and a spare’ why is the Duchess of Cambridge described by some courtiers as ‘the prickly princess’? Because Kate’s content to be a stay-at-home mum. Ensconced in ten-bedroom Anmer Hall, she feels no pressing need to do otherwise.

Materially, the couple have William’s air ambulance wage of £40k, plus around £1million a year Duchy of Cornwall income and about £200,000 annual interest from the estate of Princess Diana.

My source says: ‘William agreed to a number of conditions about what was expected of her but attempts are being made by courtiers to amend them.’

[From The Daily Mail]

That is… very, very interesting. Some people have always assumed that William and Kate’s marriage is as much a business arrangement as it is a real marriage and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if William’s people (not William) are trying to tell Kate that she needs to be more public and more active and she’s all “Nope, that wasn’t part of the deal that I had with William.”

Oh, and People Magazine is trying to start a rumor that “Princess Kate” (STAHP!!!!) has been staying at Windsor Castle with the babies. Yeah… I thought that was the whole point of the extensive renovation of Anmer Hall: it is now the Cambridge family home, and now the Queen doesn’t have to see Carole Middleton at all.

Photos courtesy of WENN.