From CB: I got the Elf Halo Glow Liquid Filter and it’s so nice! Before that I was using Maybelline Instant Age Rewinder 4-in-1 Glow Makeup as an alternative to full foundation, which is also quite good, but not as amazing as this. Elf Halo Glow can be used alone or under foundation and it just makes your skin look glowy without being sparkly like other products I’ve used. I used it all over my face and am surprised at how well it works – it really lives up to the hype and makes my skin look fabulous. Here are some more things Hecate and I are looking at on Amazon.

An affordable stick vacuum that’s as powerful as more expensive brands

From CB: My German Shepherd sheds so much and I would love to own a Dyson, but the stick vacuum model I was looking at was astronomically priced at $750! I did some research and ordered this stick vacuum from trusted brand Shark for just $159. This is a corded vacuum that comes with multiple attachments for picking up pet hair. It has over 9,200 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. Reviewers say it has excellent suction, makes vacuuming easier and has easy to swap attachments. “We love this vacuum. Works great on solid surface floor and short-pile carpet.” “This lightweight vacuum does great on my carpet, rugs and hardwood floors. Perfect for picking up all that holiday glitter and tree or decor fallings around the house. No more having to use my hand or other tools to empty the carpet/dirt debris around either the filter or motor. The XL cup is separate and very easy to detach and empty.”

A meat thermometer that’s so popular it consistently sells out

My meat thermometer from 2017 stopped working so I bought a new one. I got this Kizen thermometer that we featured back in October. It comes with batteries and it has a magnet so I stick it right on the fridge! It’s easy to use, seems accurate and is on sale for 20% off. I wanted to feature it earlier but every time I check it’s sold out. This has over 70,000 ratings, 4.7 stars and the same score on ReviewMeta. Most reviewers like it as much as I do. “Thermometer works great, is simple to use, and is accurate. It can be used for anything you are cooking or baking, from -58° to 572° F.” “We had needed to replace our old meat thermometer and this one showed high ratings. So we have it a try and so far very pleased! The most shocking was it came with a backup battery, which is truly worth it right there!”

A hotel room door lock for peace of mind while traveling and at home

We were talking about this hotel room door lock in our Celebitchy Zoom this week and two of us have them. (We’ve featured this product before but I thought it was worth mentioning again.) One of my friends said hotel staff opened her door without knocking and that’s why she got this. This lock protects against hotel staff and thieves breaking in. Many people use them on their apartments to avoid maintenance people coming in unannounced. It has almost 15,000 ratings, 4.4 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it really works. “Today early this morning I was getting out of the shower and guess what? A key turned in my lock but the door would not budge. I ran to my peep hole and I could see it was the same guy from the carpet service. I told him to back up before I use my weapon and he claimed ‘He just stopped by to apologize again.’ I’m in the process now of reporting this to the police.” “This thing actually works, and works far better than my expectations. I’m a large person (6’4, 400lbs.) and I tried to push the door in from the outside while my wife placed this inside. Not only could I not open the door, it didn’t even budge.”

Portable soap works better than hand sanitizer

How many times have you been in a public restroom that doesn’t have soap? I’m frequently out and have to use hand sanitizer instead of washing my hands as there’s water but no soap available. These travel soap dispensers come with 200 strips of soap film and can be stored in a purse or backpack. They’re so affordable at only $8 for four little cases. They have almost 5,000 ratings, 4.5 stars and the same score on ReviewMeta. People say they’re super convenient. “They fit in your pocket and they lather up really well. Very handy if you are somewhere that doesn’t have soap. Highly recommend!” “The soap sheets worked perfectly. I think I handed out about 10 of them to strangers who were at the sink at the same time that I was. They were so thankful and thought they were the coolest thing.”

A silicone pot handle cover to avoid kitchen accidents

From Hecate: I’ve often gone to turn a pot on the stove only to burn my hand because it was roasting hot. That’s why I need one of these pot holders to save me from my own stupidity. It’s safe to use up to 475° and has an anti-slip grip. Just don’t use it over an open flame. But it’s a good grade silicon, so it should last you a while. It comes in red, black or blue and only costs $6. It has over 33,000 reviews and 4.4 stars on ReviewMeta. People say they are easy to use and effective, ”It is easy to clean and easy to use. I have yet to end up with blistered knuckles or palm since I started using the handle to move the pans around so that is a win in my book” And they love their efficiency, “I love my cast iron skillet, and hate burning my hand on the handle. Regular potholders are unwieldy and ineffective. Oven mitts are worse. These keep my hands unflustered and well cushioned.” Most reviewers talk about using them with cast iron pans, which I get. But these would protect the coating on other handles as well.

Anti-frizz spray for silky smooth hair

From Hecate: Color Wow dream coat spray is all natural and sulfate, gluten and paraben free. It promises to take a frizzy, wild mane and tame into Instagram worthy locks. And by the customer reviews, if you follow the instructions, it does just that. The only catch is the product is heat activated so you need to use some form of dryer or iron for full effect. But once styled, it lasts for up to three days. The spray has almost 54,500 reviews with 4.3 stars that ReviewMeta confirmed. It is $27, but it’s a professional product and it lasts a while. People love it, “I am obsessed! I have tried a LOT of hair care products over the years. Some leave my hair greasy, some sticky, some just don’t work. On and on….this product? PERFECT! My hair is so silky and soft and static free yet not at all greasy and not at all sticky.” And even better news, the spray has no scent, “I love that it leaves no scent behind. My husband in particular struggles with any strong smell.”

Cool pastel highlighters make studying a little easier

From Hecate: I have so many highlighters it should be embarrassing, if I had any shame. And while I have them in some cool jewel tones, I don’t have any pastels, like these Alohaster highlighters. And now, even with a full highlighter drawer, I’m thinking I need one, possibly both sets. They’re only $11 for a set of six. And since they are on sale for $8 this week, maybe I *can* get both. Not only are the colors cool, they have the chiseled tips, which make highlighting neater. I guess I’m already sold, aren’t I? They have over 8,000 reviews with 4.7 stars from ReviewMeta, so I’m not alone. They don’t cover up like darker highlighters, “They are light and don’t cover up the letters, do not bleed through Bible pages and the colors are perfectly aesthetic and not obnoxious.” I realize you may not be highlighting bibles, but that rice paper is tough to highlight, so it’s good to note that these work on it. This person even used them on older material, “I can use the tan and brown on browned old mass market paperbacks and have a hierarchical difference between my highlights, which is really nice, because I tend to highlight A LOT of my books.”

Thanks Lisa for the tips! As an Amazon Affiliate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Brian Cox is a socialist, a republican, a Scottish independence proponent, activist and an actor. In interviews, he’s never shied away from sharing his political opinions or his opinions on how the British monarchy should end. He thinks Scotland should be independent and that the Windsors should be put on an ice floe and set adrift in the Atlantic. I’m surprised he even has opinions about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the two people who left the sh-tshow and are now making their own money and paying taxes. But here we are. Cox was recently interviewed in Haute Living New York to promote Succession, and he had some sh-t to say about the Sussexes.

Actor Brian Cox claims Meghan Markle ‘knew what she was getting into’ when she married into the Royal Family as he repeats his call for the monarchy to be abolished. The Succession star, 76, criticised the Duchess for entering the family with an expectation that she and Prince Harry could ‘cut themselves off’ from the established ‘system’.

Mr Cox, speaking with Haute Living New York, accused Meghan of having ‘ambitions’ to join the family and alleged she may have had childhood dreams of marrying Prince Charming. Furthermore, the actor, who has previously pushed for abolition of the monarchy, reiterated that the traditional entity is ‘not viable’ and ‘doesn’t make any sense’.

Mr Cox, addressing the ongoing controversies surrounding Megxit, claimed that while people think there’s an ‘innocence’ about the Sussexes, he believes Meghan was fully aware that she was inserting herself into a longstanding system.

‘You can’t go into a system where somebody’s already been trained to behave in a certain kind of way and then just expect them to cut themselves off,’ he told the outlet. ‘I mean, she knew what she was getting into.’

The Emmy-award winner also claimed that Meghan ‘clearly’ had an ‘ambition’ when she married Harry.

‘The childhood dreams of marrying Prince Charming and all that s**t we see as fantasy that could be our lives in our dreams,’ he argued, calling himself a ‘Cinderella person.’

Despite him criticising Meghan for seeming disrupting the royal system, Mr Cox added: ‘In my opinion, we shouldn’t have a monarchy. It’s not viable; it doesn’t make any sense.’

He said that although royalists would say the system is a ‘tradition,’ his thoughts are ‘f**k it, move on.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I’ve been looking for the full interview but it doesn’t look like it’s been released online quite yet. My guess is that Haute Living sent out some excerpted quotes and the Mail cherry-picked the “worst” ones for the Sussexes. For what it’s worth, I bet in the full context, Cox is being much more critical of the monarchy than the Sussexes. Just a few months ago, he indicated that he believed that the Windsors treated Harry and Meghan poorly and “something clearly traumatic went on for the pair of them.I don’t think they made it up, I don’t think it’s false. I think it’s true and should’ve been rectified, and it hasn’t.” Now, can he say that and also suggest that Meghan had a princess fantasy? Sure. Because I think it’s true – Meghan did have a princess fantasy, or more like “wow, I can use the royal platform to do amazing work like Harry’s mother.” And then it all came crashing down.

Cover courtesy of Haute Living, additional photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

It’s remarkable to watch the Windsors stagger around, offending everyone, wasting money and being incredibly nasty to family members, and then wonder why they’re historically unpopular. Most of the time, the Windsors and the royalist press are happy enough to lay the blame entirely at the feet of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, because they were the ones who got away from the sh-tshow. But even the royalist media outlets have to admit, it’s getting to be a lot bigger than the Sussexit. Charles can’t leave the house/castle anymore without protesters turning up and chanting. He’s had multiple eggs thrown at him. His wife is reviled by a huge chunk of the population. His heir barely does anything because he’s a blundering rage-monster. It’s gotten pretty grim. So, this Telegraph piece is fascinating: “The monarchy is a weakened institution… if we keep pushing, it will sink.” Some highlights:

Scotland is talking a lot about independence: If Humza Yousaf had his way, the Republic of Scotland would be voting for its first ever president before the end of the decade. The SNP leadership candidate has set himself apart from his rivals by suggesting that Scots could replace the monarchy within five years of achieving independence, and polls suggest that young people north of the border agree with him.

The growing anti-monarchist vibe in England: While Republic undoubtedly represents a minority, it is a minority that is steadily growing, and unless the Royal family can persuade the under-30s that the monarchy is a force for good, that minority could one day be a majority. The polling firm YouGov has been studying attitudes towards the monarchy for more than a decade, and its findings are instructive. When asked last September whether Britain should continue to have a monarchy, 67 per cent of people in the UK said yes and just 20 per cent said no, though a decade earlier 75 percent of people said yes. But support is much softer when people are asked whether the monarchy is “good for Britain”, and it is eroding year by year. More worryingly for the monarchy, in May 2022 only 24 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds and 49 percent of 25 to 49-year-olds said the institution was good for Britain.

Republic’s Graham Smith talks about the vibe: He says his pressure group’s income has almost trebled in the space of two years, from £106,000 in 2020 to £286,000 in 2022, much of which came in after Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September. “In the last couple of years republicanism has been boosted by the Prince Harry row and the scandal over Prince Andrew. But people are also unhappy about the cash for honours affair involving the King, so it’s a different ball game now, because people are very happy to criticise Charles. He has 70 years’ worth of baggage and in the three or four years leading up to the Queen’s death it was one scandal after another after another.”

Graham Smith thinks the monarchy is weakened: “Charles hasn’t inherited that deference that people had for the late Queen. The monarchy is a weakened institution, it’s holed below the waterline, and if we keep pushing, it will sink. People didn’t believe that was a possibility 10 years ago, but they believe it now. We are not a country of royalists and we are not a country of republicans, but the chances of Prince George becoming king are rapidly disappearing.”

Charles isn’t worried: Those who know the King say he will not be worried about the polls, or Republic’s slick marketing campaign, having seen support for the monarchy wax and wane over the years. “There was never any doubt that the death of the late Queen would strengthen the voice of republicans,” says one ally. “The late Queen was held in such respect that the King was fully aware there would be a dip in support. But he also knows that the monarchy, like a lot of our national institutions, is not something that young people immediately think about, but it is something they tend to connect with as they get older and think more outside their sphere of influence. So the King will disregard the opinion polls of the day and simply do the job which he is asked to do. He won’t play to the gallery or try to lean in to any particular audience. He has a very long-range view of what his role is and he believes people will also take a long range view of his contribution.”

[From The Telegraph]

The piece goes on to analyze the numbers from yet another dreaded YouGov poll, and it continues to be insane that the Windsors take these YouGov push polls so seriously all the time. In this case, they’re taking the numbers seriously because there’s been a steady decline in even philosophical support for the monarchy, especially among younger people. The Windsors have lost touch completely with the public because they believe that as long as they have the support of the media, everything will be fine. How is that working out?

Graham Smith also says that Republic is going to stage big protests at the coronation, and the Telegraph sniffed at him because “millions” will be “celebrating” the Chubbly. Won’t most people just be… enjoying their day off from work? I don’t know – I feel like people will watch it because it’s “historical,” but I also think the coronation is a bright, white, hot spotlight on Charles and all of his flaws. Not to mention Camilla prancing around like queen of the world.

Protesters chant “not my king” outside Westminster Abbey as King Charles III makes address. @ianpannell has more. pic.twitter.com/CFi1qz3U4G

— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 14, 2023

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been big supporters of chef Jose Andres and his work with World Central Kitchen. WCK goes into war-torn countries or countries facing natural disasters and the WCK teams spread out and get people fed and back to work. I’ve watched the videos of WCK’s work in Ukraine and Andres and his teams are amazing. Well, to raise more money for WCK, Jose Andres is putting out a cookbook and he’s getting some of his famous celebrity supporters to contribute recipes. People like… the Duchess of Sussex, Michelle Obama and Ayesha Curry!

Meghan Markle is sharing instructions for a favorite cake in a new charity cookbook. Over the weekend, Penguin Random House announced that chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen was releasing its first cookbook and confirmed that the Duchess of Sussex, 41, is contributing a recipe. Meghan’s lemon olive oil cake will be featured in The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope, set to hit shelves on Sept. 12. Michelle Obama, Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse and Ayesha Curry are also contributing, and all proceeds from the text will benefit the nonprofit’s emergency response efforts.

“The cookbook is a captivating collection of stories and recipes from renowned chefs, local cooks, and friends of the global nonprofit, which feeds communities impacted by natural disasters and humanitarian crises,” said a statement on Meghan and Prince Harry’s Archewell Foundation website. “Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex is proud to have contributed a recipe.”

The lemon cake might seem familiar, as the Duchess of Sussex previously made it for a special occasion. In March 2021, Meghan sent the treat to a group of female restaurateurs in Chicago who partnered with World Central Kitchen to feed those in need during the pandemic. In a sweet touch, the nonprofit said she baked the cake with lemons from her garden.

[From People]

We talked about it when Meghan baked her lemon olive cake and sent it to WCK workers. She’s so thoughtful. I wonder if this is Meghan’s favorite cake to bake, or if she has cakes for all seasons. I feel like she’s probably always experimenting and updating her recipes for cakes and cupcakes, and she probably does her kids’ birthday cakes herself. Hm! Seriously though, when are we going to get a Duchess Meghan cookbook? There are always rumors that she wants to do a lifestyle book at some point, but if she wrote a cookbook (and included some personal stories in the recipes), it would SELL OUT. I’ve always wondered if Meghan pitched a cooking show to Netflix as well. I would totally watch her cook and bake in her Montecito kitchen.

Photos courtesy of Netflix, Jose Andres’s IG.

As we’ve discussed before, Ryan Reynolds has many businesses to keep his family afloat for a few lifetimes. He either owns, partners or has a vested interest in several lucrative deals and credit to him, he’s gotten in on the ground floor of some smart choices. He also cuts bait at the right time, too. I’m not implying that his business fail, but he knows when to accept the right offer. Like when he sold Aviation Gin for $610M two years after investing in it. Well, he’s one-upped himself by selling off his minority ownership of Mint Mobile to T-Mobile to the tune of $1.35 billion.

Ryan Reynolds‘ Mint Mobile has just been acquired.

The 46-year-old Deadpool actor released a video sharing that his company, of which he is a minority owner, has been acquired by T-Mobile in a deal valued at up to $1.35 billion.

“Mint Mobile is the best deal in wireless and today’s news only enhances our ability to deliver for our customers,” Ryan said in a statement Wednesday.

“We are so happy T-Mobile beat out an aggressive last-minute bid from my mom Tammy Reynolds as we believe the excellence of their 5G network will provide a better strategic fit than my mom’s slightly-above-average mahjong skills. I am so proud of the entire Mint team and so excited for what’s to come,” Ryan joked.

[From Just Jared]

In the announcement, which I posted below, T-Mobile’s Mike Sievert and Ryan let customers know that Mint has run on the T-Mobile network since its inception. So they assure everyone who likes Mint that nothing will change, including pricing and customer service. I’m not sure I’d buy that if I was a Mint patron. Folks don’t spend over a billion dollars without a motive. Those numbers, man – after a while they just don’t seem real. Since I am currently working on my 1040s, my first thought was how that was going to affect his taxes. But I don’t think billionaires have to worry about things like that. I don’t use either company so I don’t know if I should be consoling people or congratulating them right now. I can congratulate Ryan, certainly. That’s a nice chunk of change to pocket. I wonder if Blake told him that if he wanted to sink any more money into his Wrexham Football Club, he was going to have to sell off one of his toys to do so. I don’t blame her… or him. I won’t go into details in case Welcome to Wrexham airs season two.

Here’s the announcement. It’s typical Ryan cuteness. I enjoyed it, and Mike does a pretty good job meeting Ryan at his irreverence. But this merger might actually worry some folks. I wonder if this silly little back and forth is enough to assure Mint users or are people sorry they trusted Deadpool with their wireless needs about now?

I only want the best for Mint Mobile customers. Think I’ve found it. pic.twitter.com/nSNmGKLmN2

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 15, 2023

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This is Ryan and his mom Tammy

“So you think I should sell to Virgin Mobile instead of T-Mobile?”

Photo credit: Cover Images, Twitter, Instagram and Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon

Prince William has four homes that we know of, between Adelaide Cottage, Anmer Hall, Kensington Palace and Tam-na-Ghar (in Scotland). Six months ago, he became the Duke of Cornwall, with access to the vast Duchy of Cornwall real estate empire. In recent months, William has made some very clear machinations behind-the-scenes to convince his father to evict Prince Andrew from Royal Lodge, so that William and his family can move into the mansion after millions worth of renovations. So… obviously, William thinks the best issue for him right now is to tackle homelessness. He’s done a podcast interview in honor of Red Nose Day, the fundraising day for Comic Relief. You can see the video here.

Prince William believes his late mother, Princess Diana, would be upset that more progress hasn’t been made to combat homelessness. The Prince of Wales, 40, was introduced to the plight of street sleepers and others without homes by Diana, who took him and his brother Prince Harry to shelters, and he is a longstanding campaigner on the issue.

In a new video, he says that Diana, who died at age 36 in 1997, would be frustrated that more progress hasn’t been achieved.

“My mother introduced me to the cause of homelessness from quite a young age, and I’m really glad she did,” Prince William said. “I think she would be disappointed that we are still no further on in terms of tackling homelessness and preventing it than when she was interested and involved in it.”

The video was made by Comic Relief and will air in full during a telethon this Friday. In a short clip released on Wednesday, William is seen visiting a charity called Groundswell, which Comic Relief is supporting, and recording a podcast as part of Groundswell’s Listen Up! Project.

The Prince of Wales says he is there “to learn” about the stories of two people, Nawshin and Miles, who have been helped by the charity.

“I’m here really kind of to learn a bit more from you both, to hear a bit more about your lived experiences of homelessness,” William tells them.

[From People]

While it’s important to listen to homeless people and learn about their journeys, it’s not like William is some activist with no resources to offer people other than his listening skills. While homelessness is a complicated issue and there are a lot of moving parts, it’s not like it’s this impossible, unsolveable issue – create more low-income housing, dedicate more public funds to tackle the root causes of homelessness, create an economy with a stronger social safety net. And don’t stand for some posh a–hole to patronizingly simper “I’m just hear to listen” before he goes back to one of his four homes.

If you have a moment, check out the comments on this tweet. They’re really ripping Peg a new one.

Prince William says his mother, Princess Diana, would be disappointed at level of homelessnesshttps://t.co/5KAqCSGmCB

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) March 15, 2023

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

I heard this Kelly Clarkson story the other day and it broke my heart. She was on The Angie Martinez IRL Podcast talking about how her kids were doing with her divorce to their father, Brandon Blackstock, and Kelly admitted they were really sad about it. Obviously, that didn’t surprise me, but listening to Kelly talk about navigating her kids feelings about the breakup knowing everything she went through in that messy split, I just want her to find some peace. Kelly said she understands what her children are feeling, too, because her parents were divorced and she felt the same way.

Kelly Clarkson isn’t afraid to share the reality of her divorce.

The “Because of You” singer recently reflected on her split from Brandon Blackstock, the father of her children River, 8, and Remington, 6. Kelly said that River and Remington sometimes tell her the heartbreaking truth of how they feel about their parents’ divorce.

“I literally ask my kids every night when we’re snuggling, ‘Are you happy? And if you’re not, what could make you happier?’” Kelly explained during the March 13 episode of The Angie Martinez IRL Podcast. “Sometimes they’ll say, especially the past two years, and it kills me and I want them to be honest, so I don’t ever say, ‘Oh god, don’t tell me that,’ but a lot of times it would be like, ‘You know, I’m just really sad. I wish mommy and daddy were in the same house.’”

Explaining that “they’re really honest about it,” Kelly shared why she’s glad they’re candid: “I’m raising that kind of individual. I want you to be honest with me.”

While hearing that from her children may be hard, Kelly said she can understand her little ones’ feelings because she grew up in a similar situation.

“I just sit there and I’m like, ‘I get it. I’m from a divorced family as well. I get it. That sucks. But we’re going to work it out. And you are so loved by both of us,’” Kelly noted. “I think communicating with them and not treating them—not treating them like an adult, because they’re not—but not treating them like a child. They’re not small feelings. Those are huge feelings, and those are huge emotions.”

Not only do Kelly’s children tell her how they feel about the dynamic, but they also pick her brain as well.

“My kids ask me all the time, ‘So you don’t love him anymore?’” Kelly shared. “I’m like, ‘No, I don’t know if that goes away.’”

[From Yahoo! Entertainment]

“They’re not small feelings. Those are huge feelings, and those are huge emotions.” This is an important distinction that Kelly makes. They are kids but these are very big feelings and minimizing them would be confusing, at the very least. Treating them too much like adults would have its own issues, so it’s best to address the emotions directly. But I also feel for Kelly knowing what level of sadness the kids are going through and not able to alleviate that until they are old enough to understand.

The part that got me is the ‘So you don’t love him anymore?’ question. OMG how do you answer that? I mean, maybe Kelly really does still love her ex, but I couldn’t tell my impressionable child I stopped loving their father for fear they’d assume I could stop loving them. I’m sure therapists have mastered the proper response to this so if anyone has it, I’d love to hear it.

See, this is why I appreciate when celebrities talk about these things. I get to ask questions I never knew I had.

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Photo credit: JPI Studios/Avalon, Getty Images and Instagram

This is such a weird controversy but it’s notable that the issue was seemingly started by royal reporters. On Monday, it was “misreported” in the British press that Kate, the Princess of Wales, would attend the Commonwealth Day reception at Buckingham Palace. Kate attended the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey alongside the other senior royals (King Charles, Camilla, William, Sophie, Edward and Anne) and then… she was the only one out of that group to skip the palace reception. What gives? There’s even some back and forth about whether she was originally scheduled to go to the palace, or whether she was never on the guest list. Well, that unhinged “royal expert” Daniela Elser has some thoughts!

The Princess of Wales going missing after the annual Commonwealth Day service is a bad look, a royal expert has claimed. Writing in her column for news.com.au, royal expert Daniela Elser wrote that after the service, which was held at Westminster Abbey on Monday afternoon, all other royals such as Prince William and the newly-appointed Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, all “trooped back to Buckingham Palace for the Commonwealth reception”. The mother-of-three, however, was “conspicuously absent from all the polite chitchat”.

Kate’s absence was noticed, despite an earlier press release saying, according to Ms Elser, that “she would be attending”.

There are “current theories” claiming that she could have been collecting Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis from school. However, with the fact that the Waleses have a nanny, this seems unlikely.

Ms Elser added: “Sure, Kate’s desire ro perpetually do the school run is admirable and all, but does not change the fact that her priorities in this instance are reall quite off.”

[From The Daily Express]

Don’t make me act like a Kate apologist – I am not. But I do believe that for these kinds of events (like a palace reception), Kate just does what she’s told. Either King Charles or Prince William didn’t want her there. That’s the real story – why didn’t the Windsors want Kate there? Did they think she would make an ass out of herself and embarrass everyone? Did Charles just want the spotlight on him? Did William not feel like pretending to be a happy couple for one more minute?

Interestingly, over the weekend, the Guardian had a piece analyzing Kensington Palace’s “coordinated PR campaign” starring Kate. The Guardian wrote that this is “perhaps a counter-PR campaign, one constructed with the specific purpose of neutralising a less conformist message disseminated by the Wales’s arch-enemies, the Sussexes.” The Guardian pointed out that Kate is carrying the Good Ship Windsor because Charles is “a man whose equilibrium cannot survive a leaking pen” and William “is possessed of a dangerously volcanic temper.” My guess? Someone got jealous and ordered Kate to stay away so William and Charles could have the headlines (they received few headlines).

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Personally, I thought the fashion at Monday’s Commonwealth Service was overwhelmingly boring and dowdy. Not just the Princess of Wales – who wore an overpriced and patterned Erdem suit – but Camilla, Sophie and Anne all looked basic and unremarkable. But because Kate is Kate and there’s nothing else to talk about other than her fashion, the Daily Mail’s Liz Jones was tasked with writing a column about how Kate’s style has improved as Princess of Wales. Personally, as a long-time Kate watcher, her style level is about the same as PoW, but her hair and her hairpieces are a f–king disaster. But I digress, please enjoy these unhinged highlights from Liz Jones’s column: “’This is what a Queen looks like’: LIZ JONES says Kate’s Commonwealth Day outfit shows she ‘means business’ – after ditching ‘dowdy and safe’ outfits.”

Jones begs for Kate to ditch the Victorian coatdresses: “Please, Kate, I was pleading as she arrived on a blustery, dull afternoon for the Commonwealth Day service. Please, no nipped-in-at-the-waist coat dress with no room for your kidneys. No coat dress. No polka dots. No exposed knees. Nothing recycled. No head-to-toe gold. Nothing French, as the British fashion industry needs your gold dust to survive. And please God, no high street.

Kate’s PoW style compared to Meghan: “There is a new gravitas to the way she dresses. It is nothing to do with a rivalry with Meghan; dear God, all you must do to win that battle is to own an iron and a mirror. No. Kate knows she is one step closer to being Queen Consort, is now so much more high profile, that she is all about diplomatic dressing.

Edgy yet serious: “She can still be edgy…She can still be fun – viz, the opera gloves worn for the BAFTAs. But everything is getting serious now. There is so much weight of expectation on her narrow shoulders that in order to cope she is channelling not just Diana, but the late Queen herself…In years past on this very occasion, Kate had looked somewhat dowdy, and safe. Too many checks. Too many slurries. Exposed knees. Military buttons: ewwww. She knew she wasn’t the star. That role was of course taken by the Queen. But today? She knew she was the one woman everyone is craning their necks to see.

Remember Kate’s fashion show at Philip’s funeral? “We first saw down-to-business Kate at Prince Philip’s funeral. In black Roland Mouret, she was impeccable. She knew she had to bear the brunt of the nation’s tears when the Queen could not. She did not put a foot wrong. It was a ‘Wow.’ moment, and we need a few more of those.

Once again, a mention of Meghan: “So, on Monday afternoon, did she deliver? For an occasion celebrating an institution that has of late taken a bit of a battering, not just from the likes of Meghan….Camilla was in royal blue, the colour Kate chose last year, but the outfit was a tad too plain, like something she dug up in the boot room. No. This is second fiddle dressing, not how a Queen should show up. And Kate? Hooray! No dreaded coat dress, but instead? A peplum. A pattern. Inky, sexy, classy navy. A saucer hat that threatened to take off in the wind. No reed-thin silhouette, but a kick like one of the Queen’s beloved ponies. No blasted coat dress but a jaunty two piece with flare and flounce. And a contrast cream lining, people.

Priceless Erdem: “The whole ensemble is by Erdem, the Canadian-born designer who has made London his home, and whom Kate adores for his love of print, florals, colour. (Jacket, £2,000. Skirt, £1,000. Put together, bloody priceless!) The exact, correct, grown-up length, which is mid-calf. She seems covered in tiny birds but the pattern is in fact floral. The detailing on the back is exquisite: Kate knows that so many people will just see her from behind. It is all very Thirties. And not a polka dot in sight.

Steroid queen: “This is a queen, but on steroids. This is Kate using fashion as Diana used fashion: to cheer us up. This is what we need now. Confidence. Kate finally has an hour-glass shape, both relaxed but infinitely formal. I’m literally completely and utterly in awe, and hopelessly in love.

[From The Daily Mail]

This is genuinely embarrassing and unsettling. Is this… what British people want? Kate wandering around in Edwardian cosplay, looking like Lady Mary from Downton Abbey? Do they want Kate to turn a prince consort’s funeral into a fashion show and photoshoot? It’s bonkers. And it would be different if Kate actually wore a good suit, but this Erdem ain’t it. The peplum combined with the white stitching combined with the floral pattern… it looked like she wore a repurposed duvet. Now, I also think it’s sort of funny that much of this column was damning Kate with faint praise, mocking her buttons and her retro silhouettes. But WTF is this: “It is nothing to do with a rivalry with Meghan; dear God, all you must do to win that battle is to own an iron and a mirror.” Kate literally has a Meghan lookbook and she fastidiously cosplays Meghan constantly.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

This year’s Commonwealth Day in the UK didn’t get much coverage internationally or locally, from what I can see. That’s what happens when Commonwealth Day falls on the Monday after the Oscars. So, people are still looking at the photos mid-week and going “oh right, that happened on Monday.” As we discussed, the Princess of Wales wore an awful Erdem suit, Sophie wore Meghan cosplay and Queen Camilla couldn’t be bothered to secure her hat on a windy day.

It was just last night that I saw the videos of the Windsors’ arrivals at Westminster Abbey. Despite the windy conditions, Maori performers had been stationed outside the Abbey to give a traditional greeting to the Windsors as they all arrived in separate cars. King Charles and Queen Camilla were the first to arrive, and look at this wide shot of their arrival:

#QueenCamilla blatantly disrespected her Maori subjects! #QueenElizabeth would never let some wind stop her from showing respect to the cultures of the diverse Commonwealth Realms. Camilla is unfit for queendom! pic.twitter.com/qCxRfgUj5q

— Princess of Wails (@KmartRoyal) March 14, 2023

So, I went looking for this wide angle on YouTube, but it looks like all of the British outlets chose a much tighter shot on King Charles for the arrival, all so they could avoid the angle of Camilla disrespectfully (and drunkenly?) staggering past the Maori performers. Like, it was windy, her hat was about to blow off, but you know what? That’s no excuse. This is her first Commonwealth Day and Commonwealth service as queen! And she couldn’t even be bothered to show a modicum of respect for the Maori performers. Guess what? They were also dealing with blustery conditions. Asinine. Camilla is so disrespectful. Of course, the rest of the Windsors only stopped for a moment to acknowledge the performers too.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.