One of my minor conspiracies is that the focus and emphasis on the Princess of Wales’s rare public appearances purposefully overshadows whatever is going on with Prince William. Just looking at the pair of them, you would think William is the one who has had health struggles in the past year. Here are more photos of William and Kate on Tuesday, as they did the daytime events together as part of the Qatari royals’ state visit. William was Lurch-ing out but no one noticed because all eyes were on Kate. Anyway, this is apparently the new normal for the Windsors, per Becky English at the Mail. She wrote a long-winded piece about how people should stop expecting so much from all of the Windsors.

After the year they have had, it was probably as close to the ‘new normal’ for the Royal Family that we are going to get, for the time being at least. Naturally all eyes were on the Princess of Wales as she returned to the public eye in her most significant official role since she effectively withdrew from royal life at the start of the year following her shock cancer diagnosis. Her warm smile and dazzling sense of style made us all realise how much Kate had been missed, even if this particular princess wasn’t quite up to going to ‘the ball’ (aka the State Banquet).

MailOnline understands that this is all part of her ‘gradual’ and measured return to work, balancing her commitments generally, but also specifically this week between the State Visit and her own annual carol service on Friday. It was still a tonic, however, to see her looking so happy and well, Prince William just once discreetly laying a comforting hand on her shoulder but otherwise happily letting his wife get on with what she does best – shine.

[These tweaks to the state visit protocol] might seem insignificant to the untrained eye, but in royal parlance it’s these tiny details that often paint the bigger picture. It’s important to stress that this is not a portrait of doom and gloom – far from it… it is utterly remarkable that within less than a year of these seismic – and potentially catastrophic – events that we have almost all members of our Royal Family on duty simultaneously at such a diplomatically crucial event.

But it does also go to emphasise that, for the time being at least, we may have to cut them a little slack. A source tells me: ‘It’s just a question of adaptions given the particular challenges of this year. I don’t think this is a sign of things to come but it is necessity of where we find ourselves at this moment in time.’

Indeed, at a time when recent discussions have focused more heavily than ever on both the function of our monarchy, as well as its funding, yesterday’s State Visit has emphasised more than ever why it is still, in diplomatic terms, our trump card. One senior Qatari diplomat told me recently that we should not underestimate the importance that their Emir, – was educated in the UK and commissioned at the Sandhurst military college, and could be seen beaming from ear-to-ear throughout the day – has placed upon it. Indeed, it is considered something of a coup for his country to be the first Middle Eastern state to be afforded the honour.

This is of no small significance in Whitehall where mandarins appreciate more than anyone the importance of the longevity of the Royal Family’s friendship with countries such as Qatar (which is currently heavily investing in British science and technology) particularly given the level of political instability we have seen in the UK in recent years.

[From The Daily Mail]

Yeah, from a larger diplomatic sense, the state visit was genuinely successful. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was very pleased with his reception, King Charles was genuinely a congenial host, and there were no major or minor diplomatic incidents. It also feels like the lack of diplomatic incidents was contingent on William and Kate both being seen and not heard. William was like the man who wasn’t there – ignored during the day because of Kate’s appearance, and ignored during the state banquet because no one gives a sh-t about him.

A lot of people are talking about this video too – William swaying a bit at the welcome ceremony/parade. Remember his swaying & butterfingers in February? Yeah. I suspect both William AND Kate took something or drank something to take the edge off.

The Princess of Wales joined Prince William and King Charles in welcoming the Emir of Qatar on a state visit to the UK.

Queen Camilla missed the welcome ceremony because of “lingering side effects” from a chest infection.https://t.co/dXAguBCarI pic.twitter.com/xYsuaqLntq

— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 3, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on different coasts today for various events. Prince Harry will appear at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, and then this evening, he’ll attend an art exhibition opening to benefit Sentebale in New York. Meghan will be in LA this evening at the Paley Center’s tribute ceremony for Tyler Perry. In September and October, a similar “separation” played out, as Harry went solo in New York, London, Lesotho and South Africa while Meghan was in Montecito and LA. Instead of just shrugging and admitting that Harry and Meghan are booked, busy, important and successful, the royalist/Deranger commentary has been screaming “professional SEPARATION” for months. Well, because of today’s events, Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast wrote yet another piece about it.

Representatives in the Sussex camp declined to comment on whether the couple’s plans for the day represented a broader strategic realignment. However, it has been widely reported that the couple are splitting their professional lives, with Harry concentrating on more “serious” aspects of philanthropic life with his wife focusing on more celebrity-driven commercial opportunities. Wednesday’s very different outings seem clear evidence of that intent. Whether or not it will work is another question.

Paula Froelich, entertainment correspondent and senior story editor for US cable channel NewsNation, whose previous gigs have included editing Page Six, and special correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and The Insider told The Daily Beast: “The current reset is: Harry focuses on charity ad Meghan focuses on commercial projects. They are trying to show they are individual powerhouses. It’s working for Harry but not so much for Meghan. It’s going to be interesting to see how she handles being constantly upstaged by her husband.”

Tony Case, a marketing expert and writer, told The Daily Beast that the overwhelmingly negative comments posted under the Polo trailer on YouTube are symptomatic of a broader problem—“The general apathy the public has for this pair”— adding: “This clearly is not a country that is rooting for Harry and Meghan.”

Warren Johnson, a veteran PR and marketing consultant who has worked with global consumer brands including Sony, Disney, Adidas, Tinder and Nobu, and is the eponymous boss of W Communications, told The Daily Beast: “I fear they may have drunk too much of their own Kool-Aid. 2+2=5 when it comes to creating celebrity couples from lesser individuals, and ‘Harry and Meghan’ is a classic example of that. Sadly, the maths the other way is less attractive; when the couple is divided by two you are left with an estranged royal and a jam making actress.”

Crisis prevention expert Drew Kerr of The Four Corners Group told The Daily Beast: “One or two appearances apart is nothing. Adults are allowed to be independent in 2024. But if it is consistent, over a period of time, let’s say three or four weeks, with no explanation, then people might be entitled to speculate that something else is going on. ‘Bennifer’ is the cautionary example here. Contrary to popular belief, facts don’t speak for themselves. If they are not communicating about the joint brand and where they stand, the silence is doing the talking. That means they’ve ceded control of their story to the press and social media.”

Ultimately, together or apart, many believe the couple have fatally damaged their brand by making bank out of selling royal secrets. Without a meaningful reconciliation, the conflict with Harry’s family will always remain far more interesting than the latest impact report from Archewell highlighting all the good things they have done. As Froelich says: “The only story the world wants to see from them now is if they ever got their head out of their asses, hired a non-sycophantic shrink who pointed out all the inconsistencies in their ‘truths’ and did what the rest of the world does on a regular basis: Make nice with their families, who may be imperfect, but love them.”

[From The Daily Beast]

All of this performative pearl-clutching over a couple who have repeatedly shown that they’re popular, busy and successful is actually hilarious. “What happens if Meghan and Harry continue to appear at public events on separate coasts?!?!” Well, the last time it happened, the Mail spent two weeks writing hysterical commentary about Meghan’s red dress, all while the same paper actively avoided the larger commentary about Harry’s meetings at the United Nations, not to mention his speech at the Clinton Global Initiative. That’s what will happen this week too – Harry will make a great appearance at the DealBook Summit and the art exhibit, and the British papers will obsess about Meghan’s appearance at the Paley Center. Also: this is a case of “pick of struggle” because the Sussexes made four international trips together this year (Canada, Jamaica, Nigeria and Colombia) and each and every one of those trips broke royalists’ brains and created a great deal of hysteria in the British media.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red.

In America, state dinners are often star-studded affairs, especially when a Democrat is president. Hollywood stars and models are often invited to White House state dinners to pretty up the event and provide some juice and charisma for what can be a pretty staid affair. The same is not true of state dinners/banquets in the UK. Even during QEII’s reign, usually only a handful of actors or “celebrities” would be invited to any given state dinner, and usually those celebrities would be much older and connected in some way to the crown.

Charles and Camilla genuinely have celebrity connections through their charities and foundations, so maybe they’re trying to liven up the proceedings. They invited David and Victoria Beckham to last night’s state banquet for the emir of Qatar. According to the Telegraph, the Beckhams’ attendance “was kept secret until the event began.” This was the first time the Beckhams were invited to a state dinner, and the invitation came after years and years of David sucking up to the Windsors and openly lobbying for a knighthood. Just this year, David was named an ambassador to the King’s Foundation AND David had a private meeting with Charles at Highgrove. David also did the bizarre appearance alongside Prince William at the air ambulance thing.

Interestingly, Beckham was probably invited because of Qatar’s investment in football too. The 2022 World Cup was held in Qatar and Beckham was an ambassador for that. The palace also invited Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain, and the Beckhams were seated with him. The Telegraph also notes that Victoria and David were not seated side-by-side, and they were on opposite sides of the table.

I’m also adding photos of Princess Anne and the Duchess of Edinburgh. Anne looks like she’s wearing a sofa. Sophie’s dress is Suzannah, and she wore her usual diamond-and-aquamarine tiara. Honestly though, Victoria’s dress is pretty bad too.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

More photos from last night’s British Fashion Awards – Chloe Bailey wore Atsuko Kudo, Halle Bailey wore this white gown. [JustJared]
The box office is having a robust holiday season. [LaineyGossip]
Mariah Carey baked Christmas cookies with Vogue. [OMG Blog]
Cheryl Hines should be canceled, idc. [Jezebel]
Review of Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu. [Pajiba]
A MAGAt thinks Ariana Grande is hispanic. [Buzzfeed]
One of the Village People claims that “YMCA” isn’t a “gay anthem.” [Socialite Life]
Happy birthday to Julianne Moore! [Hollywood Life]
Niecy Nash looks great! [Seriously OMG]
Lily Collins’ bob is no longer bobbing. [RCFA]

Two Fridays ago, Kendrick Lamar suddenly dropped GNX, a truly great album. The album is really good, which makes it even funnier that Kendrick didn’t include any of his Drake diss-songs from the spring on the album. No “Euphoria” or “Meet the Grahams” or “Not Like Us.” Instead, it’s all new material, and it’s already topping almost every chart. GNX is #1 on Billboard’s chart, GNX sold 319,000 album units in a week, and GNX is his fifth #1 album. It’s 2024’s biggest rap album. His first single, “Squabble Up,” is already topping the charts too. He’ll probably get at least three #1 singles from this album – my guess is “TV Off” and “Wacced Out Murals” will also hit #1 at some point.

Speaking of “TV Off,” Kendrick starts the song with: “All I ever wanted was a black Grand National/F–k being rational, give ’em what they ask for.” A larger message about Kendrick feeling reincarnated this year, leaning into his more commercial side post-Mr. Morale. Well, now Kendrick has just announced a new tour – the Grand National Tour, co-headlined by SZA. I love that. Kendrick really does treat SZA like she’s his little sister. You can see the tour dates here – he’s hilariously only doing one show in Canada. In Toronto, to be exact. Drake’s hometown.

Kendrick’s last tour, The Big Steppers Tour, was a huge success – it was a nearly two-year international tour which became the highest-grossing rap tour of all time at that point (although Travis Scott outsold him this year). The Grand National Tour sounds like something Kendrick wanted to do for his American fans.

Grand National Tour @szahttps://t.co/7CY9OyXU2D

— Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar) December 3, 2024

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Instar, Kendrick Lamar’s social media.

Serena Williams retired from tennis in 2022, and she gave birth to her second daughter in 2023. She’s spent much of this year losing the baby weight, traveling, launching her new skincare/beauty line and just generally being herself. Serena has always been extra and open on social media, and she’s always posting a lot of stuff and giving her fans a view of her personal life. Because she posts so much, people have been talking about her evolving look in the past few years. Personally, I don’t like the blonde hair that much on Serena, but she loves it. But there have been several people loudly discussing whether or not Serena “bleaches her skin,” because in some of her social media photos, she does seem to look a bit lighter. Instead of just rationalizing it – maybe it was the lighting, maybe it was her makeup – those people have been loudly pouring scorn on Serena. Well, she clapped back this week.

Serena Williams denied rumors that she bleached her skin while calling out the “haters” who claimed she did. During an Instagram Live on Monday, Dec. 2, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, 43, addressed claims that she purposely altered her complexion after she recently shared a video of herself at a school event with her husband Alexis Ohanian and their two daughters Olympia, 7, and Adira, 15 months. While doing a makeup tutorial for her Wyn Beauty (pronounced “win”) brand, the former athlete saw the perfect opportunity to weigh in on the topic.

“And then I put just that neutral color, that is actually my skin color, and no, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin,” Williams said as she applied her glam.

“There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors,” she continued.

The tennis star explained that she was volunteering at her daughter’s play in the now-viral video from late November, and was wearing “stage makeup” when she recorded the clip. “Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous,” Williams said, before stating that she is proud of who she is. “Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, she bleached her skin.’ I’m a dark, Black woman, and I love who I am, and I love how I look,” the pro athlete continued, adding that that type of alteration is “just not my thing.”

Williams has no issues with others who may lighten their skin, but she reiterated that it’s not a procedure she’s interested in doing. “And if people do it, that’s their thing, and they have every opportunity and they should. I don’t judge, but you guys do,” she said. “But that’s what this world is about, and I stay in my lane — the non-judgy one, and I keep it. But no, I actually don’t bleach my skin, so can we just kinda clear that up?” she concluded.

[From People]

I don’t think she’s bleaching her skin at all. I love Serena fiercely, but I think the larger problem is her terrible makeup in general, plus some lighting issues and airbrushing issues. Many of us groaned when she launched Wyn Beauty, because Serena doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing in the beauty field. Plus, I think that as Serena has aged (and she’s not playing tennis full-time in the sun anymore), she’s taking better care of her skin, which means sunscreen, etc. That’s playing a part too.

Photos courtesy of Serena’s IG.

In the past week, the British media has ramped up their criticism – all of it unhinged – of the Polo series streaming on Netflix on December 10th. The critics have only seen the trailer, but they’re convinced that the series is a tacky, gauche, elitist, pathetic exercise in Prince Harry selling out his family yet again, unless Harry never appears in the series, in which case Polo is doomed for other reasons. The one complaint no one can lodge against Harry is that “no one in the royal family would ever deign to make a documentary or docuseries!” Pretty much as soon as Harry and Meghan got $100 million from Netflix, Prince William began filming his own documentaries to copy his younger brother. All of William’s documentary efforts are failures, because he chooses to center himself in complicated issues. He wastes everyone’s time by yammering about how much HE cares about the environment or homelessness or whatever Harry cares about. Well, alongside all of the insults and criticism for Polo, wouldn’t you know that William made an announcement for his latest documentary:

The Prince of Wales is to feature in a new BBC documentary about the Earthshot Prize amid a PR push on his work projects in both the UK and the US. Prince William will introduce the Earthshot Report – which will be presented by the actress Hannah Waddingham and highlight the “impact and exciting growth” of finalists – to the BBC audience, a royal source said.

In a brief trailer released on social media, the Prince says: “Our planet needs our help and every year counts, so what have we achieved in 2024?” He was filmed sheltering under an umbrella as he walked through woodland in Buckinghamshire.

The documentary will be broadcast on the BBC on Dec 15 and on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the US on Dec 18. The announcement comes just weeks after a two-part ITV documentary explored the Prince’s efforts to tackle homelessness, which was available to international audiences on Disney+.

Prince William: We Can End Homelessness was broadcast in October and featured extensive interviews with the Prince as he described how he had tried to work out how best to use his platform, having taken inspiration and guidance from the work of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Earthshot documentary is the latest example of efforts to ensure the Prince’s key work projects are disseminated to as wide an audience as possible. It comes as he gradually increases his profile on the international stage, positioning himself as a global statesman while preparing to one day become King.

A Palace source said: “We are always looking for innovative new ways to tell these stories.”

This latest documentary comes four years after ITV released Prince William: A Planet for Us All, which involved camera crews following him for two years to learn about his “personal mission to find ways to protect the natural world”.

[From The Telegraph]

One might even say that William’s navel-gazing elitism will be showcased in another make-or-break moment for the heir to the throne. If he makes yet another boring, unwatchable, self-centered documentary, people will tune him out completely. It’s worth pointing out that many people would watch documentaries about homelessness or the environment if the issues were framed the right way and the films were centered on the human stories, the relatable stories. The reason why William’s homeless documentary bombed wasn’t because people think the subject is a bummer, it’s because William is a charisma vacuum, the anti-rizzler, and yet he demands to be centered because all of this is about his one-sided competition with his brother.

#TheEarthshotReport takes a deep dive into previous Earthshot Finalist stories, looking at the global picture and showing how we are progressing towards a sustainable future.

Introduced by Prince William and hosted by @hanwaddingham from 15 Dec on #BBCiPlayer. pic.twitter.com/RpJvm1vVL9

— The Earthshot Prize (@EarthshotPrize) December 2, 2024

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Kensington Palace, ITV.

Andie MacDowell, 66, is goals to me on so many levels. She was on the cusp of being one of my generation’s “it” actresses, and she could have been a bigger deal if she hustled more, but she moved to Montana to raise her kids. I’ve enjoyed seeing how she’s since carved out a niche for herself without chasing fame or youth. Andie walked the runway for L’oreal’s Walk Your Worth in Paris a few weeks ago along with other luminaries like Viola Davis and Jane Fonda. She was working a silver strapless gown, but it wasn’t her first option. Andie told People Magazine that she had a fitting for another gown that didn’t fit properly and that she beat herself up for not fitting into it at first. The next morning she realized that she should just pick a more comfortable dress and that she had other priorities.

On Nov. 21, while attending L’Oréal Paris’ Women of Worth Celebration, [Andie MacDowell], 66, opened up to PEOPLE about coming to the realization that she shouldn’t give in to expectations and the pressure she feels in Hollywood.

“I did a fitting and the dress was really tight around my waist. It looks so good, but I woke up and I just knew it was not the right thing for me to do,” she recalls. “I wanted to wear something that was comfortable. And, of course, immediately I shamed myself for not being able to fit into this dress.”

“But that’s Hollywood,” she says. “It’s this expectation, like you see in The Substance, to be something that you can no longer be and that was easier at a certain time in your life, but I can’t. I’m too old to starve myself for 5 lbs. nonstop. I just can’t do it anymore.”

MacDowell says she doesn’t have to “stuff” herself into clothes that don’t fit her and then beat herself up for not being able to wear it properly. She adds that every time she gets a break from Hollywood she actually feels better about her appearance.

“I used to live in Montana. When I’m at home, I feel skinny,” she admits. “It’s only when I come out here that I feel like the bar is raised so high and the expectations are beyond anything that anybody can accomplish unless you’re completely devoted to being skinny.”

“If that were the only thing that I thought about, I could do it, but there are other things I want to do in my life,” she continues. “I want to learn about birds and I want to walk on the beach and I want to be smart and I want to read books. I want to work out, but I don’t want that to be the only thing. I’d rather have the 5 lbs. on me and wear something that fits.”

[From People]

Andie went on to talk about her grandneice who struggled with anorexia at just 12 years old. She said she’s doing well now and that social media really affected her. Andie’s story about those five pounds was so relatable to me. I’m constantly trying to lose five pounds. At first it was five pounds from the pandemic and then it was five more pounds from the ensuing years. Menopause is a bitch and you really get hungry. When I give myself a break and just buy clothes that fit I feel so much more confident and better about myself. Also I loved her explanation that being thin is no longer the focus of her life because she has a ton of other things she’s interested in. Exercise is just one thing that brings her joy. Now I also want to learn about birds!

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Sidenote: Cara Delevingne looks different, right?

Photos credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon, Oliver Sanchez/Julie Edwards/Olivier Huitel/Avalon

There’s a German “journalist” named Ulrike Grunewald who seems to think that she’s the Ronan Farrow of the royal beat. Instead of using her time and resources to investigate the slumlord Windsors and their hidden fortune, Grunewald has apparently spent years “investigating” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Just doing two minutes of research on Grunewald online, it seems like a lot of very sad and hateful people pinned a lot of their hopes on her, and they wanted her to “expose” Harry and Meghan for [insert deranged conspiracy here]. Instead, after all of this time, money and effort, Grunewald has made a 45-minute documentary called Harry: The Lost Prince. The documentary reveals that Grunewald gets all of her talking points from the Daily Mail, and wouldn’t you know, the Mail did an exclusive interview with her to promote her documentary. This is a closed loop – the Mail says something vile about the Sussexes, Grunewald repeats it in a faux-investigative documentary, and the Mail squeezes another story about their own vile lie. From the Mail:

A major documentary titled Harry: The Lost Prince is to air on television in Germany on Tuesday. The 45-minute film has been more than a year in the making and is an examination of, among other things, whether Harry and Meghan have succeeded in ‘finding freedom’ and launching themselves as a financially independent, globally influential entity. The answer to this last question, according to documentary-maker Ulrike Grunewald, one of Germany’s most experienced royal reporters, is a firm ‘No.’

As Ms Grunewald, presenter of the long-running German news and current affairs show, Heute-Journal (Today-Journal), and a royal correspondent since 1987 when she accompanied the then Prince Charles and Princess Diana on their visit to Germany, told the Mail exclusively: ‘Harry and Meghan have set the bar very high. They want to be global benefactors who bring about tangible change. So far, they have not lived up to this image at all.’

Ms Grunewald travelled to Montecito to try to interview the couple and their friends and discovered that despite their wealth and royal pedigree, the Sussexes do not appear to have been fully integrated into the community’s most elite circles. She said: ‘On average, the millionaires and billionaires who move here pay eight to nine million euros for a house. The cultural life is very lively, but everything often takes place in closed circles and Harry and Meghan rarely take part in these activities. They seem to have isolated themselves a lot.’

The Sussexes’ neighbour, Richard Mineards, tells Ms Grunewald that the couple don’t seem to have put down particularly deep roots in the area, being seldom seen in town – just occasional trips to the local market or walks, always with security in tow: ‘Sometimes you will see her at the farmers’ market or with a dog but generally you don’t see her and you just don’t see much of him. It’s a shame. This is a lovely place.’

Ms Grunewald was further intrigued by their Archewell Foundation, which was launched to great fanfare in 2020 as their major philanthropic venture. ‘What surprised me most was how ineffectively Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation is organised,’ she told the Mail. ‘The amount of donations has fallen drastically in one year: from 13million dollars in 2021 to two million dollars declared in 2022/23. According to their own documents, Harry and Meghan only work one hour a week for the Archewell Foundation – why so little?’

Ms Grunewald said: ‘During the year that we worked on this film, a change of strategy was recognisable in Harry and Meghan. They started out as a power duo in their new life in California. Now they mainly appear separately, as they were unable to create a functioning image together. They have come down to earth. I was interested in whether Harry and Meghan’s strategies for an independent life are working. After four years, the results are very mixed.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Just to be clear, a German tabloid-TV journalist barged into the quiet and ritzy enclave of Montecito and demanded to speak to the Sussexes and anyone who knows Meghan and Harry. Montecito residents would have treated her the same way they treat the British tabloid journalists who try to stalk the Sussexes in California as well. Few people spoke to her and of course no one is going to open up their private foundation or accounts to her, so all she has to go on are the increasingly hysterical and intrusive British tabloid reports, which she uses in place of actual investigation. Something else is clear from this Mail exclusive – they’re all going to start ramping up the criticism of Invictus, and try to target Harry through the Invictus Games in Canada and in Birmingham (in 2027).

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Here are more photos from the Qatari state visit to the UK. Prince William and the Princess of Wales first traveled to greet Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani at the hotel or whatever. Then William and Kate traveled with the Qatari royals to Whitehall, where they joined King Charles for the Horse Guards parade. Camilla skipped – she didn’t want to be out in the cold while she was still feeling the effects of a lingering cold. Camilla did join Charles, William and Kate at the lunch for the Qatari royals though. From People:

Charles was driven from Buckingham Palace down the mall which was decorated, as is tradition, with the U.K. and Qatar flags. When his royal limousine pulled up at Horse Guards Parade, and was heralded with the National Anthem, God Save The King, and then William and Kate arrived with the guests from Qatar at around 12.10pm, U.K. time.

Kate wore a coat by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and hat by Sahar Millinery — both in the burgundy color that matched the color of the Qatar flag, and jewelry from the late Queen Elizabeth. Soon after she and William stepped onto the platform, she curtsied to her father-in-law Charles, 76, before she and William were taken along the greeting line.

Charles then took the Amir to the center of the pavilion for the playing of the national anthems, and the Prince and Princess of Wales took their place alongside the party. Following that greeting at Horse Guards Parade, Kate and William headed back to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession with Charles and the Qatari guests. The visit continued with a lunch and a viewing of treasures from the Royal Collection that are relevant to Qatar.

[From People]

“The burgundy color that matched the color of the Qatar flag”– it’s true. I looked up the flag of Qatar, and it’s absolutely burgundy and white. Kate has been MIA for most of the year, but for her first state visit of 2024, ol’ girl still went for flag-dressing! LOL. I was genuinely thinking, it’s weird that she didn’t try to wear something from Qatar or designed by a Qatari designer. But she just went with flag-dressing.

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Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red, Cover Images.