#merching

I’m old enough to remember Kate Mansey writing that Willy and Cathy would issue royal warrants when they felt like it as if they had any say in the matter.

In the week that was, Cathy did one engagement - handing out the QE2 fashion award. Instead of just doing her job, it was a convenient PR opportunity with her outfit:

A phone call was even made to change the headline and teaser paragraph because it wasn’t sycophantic enough:

Just how big is Cathy Antoinette’s ego?!?!

Luckily for the British public, she will likely have two engagements last week. First to bask in the rose named after her at the flower show and second to attend the naming ceremony of HMS Glasgow. Only high profile events for Cathy Antoinette, none of that lowly consorting with peasants that other members of the family do 🙄

Also HoB - have you been keeping up with the Blake Lively legal drama and what’s being revealed about potential extortion of Taylor Swift? Thank goodness karma is coming for at least one deluded, mean spirited couple 😅

[old ask from 17 May because I'm behind]

This is the version I could find on archive to read.

This depiction of The Princess of Wales as a weak character whom the Windsors and their courtiers can shape in every which way they choose has always been far from the truth. Just how wide of the mark this notion really is was vividly illustrated this week when she made a powerful statement, not with words but by her actions. In this case, through her choice of clothes for a royal engagement. She appeared at a fashion industry event to present the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design in an olive-green, £1,340 trouser suit by Victoria Beckham. Kensington Palace sources said her decision to wear the sharply tailored two-piece suit was to demonstrate her support for British designers in general. A friend of the Princess’s suggested that there was, however, more to it than that. And what they told me was fascinating. ‘Kate wanted to show her support for Victoria Beckham,’ the friend claimed. ‘She’s aware of what Victoria and David have been going through.’ A Kensington Palace spokesman declined to comment. What the Beckhams have been ‘going through’ is a family saga that has temporarily managed to knock the Windsors’ own difficulties off front pages. While William has become estranged from his brother, the Beckhams have become distant from their eldest son, Brooklyn. In both Harry and Brooklyn’s cases, the problems started after they married older American women.

The Daily Mail's pearl-clutcher-in-chief, Richard Eden, is at it again!

Kate shelled out £1,340 for a suit in an ugly color to support Victoria Beckham! But Kate is not a "weak character" because she spent MONEY on clothes!

That's not the clapback you think it is, Richard!

It's giving ditz with a credit card!

And, yes, we're back to pretending that Will & Kate's warrant-granting ability is an automatic right, not a privilege granted by The King.

However, the King has delayed a ­decision to grant permission to the Prince and Princess of Wales to bestow their own royal warrants. A source had ­previously said the couple would use them to “recognise British skills and industry”. Yet friends are now intrigued to find that the wait goes on — agonisingly so for some brands that supply the household of the Prince and Princess of Wales and are keen to find out if they will be acknowledged. It is understood that the warrant office has already had enquiries from some of these firms. However, a source confirmed that until the ­monarch issues permission to Kate and William, applications cannot be considered. Becoming a royal grantor is at the whim of the sovereign and not an automatic right. Charles became a grantor as Prince of Wales in 1980, yet the privilege was not extended to Princess Diana when she married him the following year. Kate would become the first Princess of Wales to grant royal warrants since 1910. This week the princess supported British fashion by wearing a £1,340 suit designed by Victoria Beckham to present the Queen Elizabeth II award at a British Fashion Council event. Within hours, the designer’s website was showing that most sizes had sold out.

And there's the tie-in from Kate's fashion appearance to the royal warrant speculation, concentrating specifically on Kate's ability to move merchandise. Ka-ching!

That's the pr benefit of Kate being able to hand out warrants: moving merchandise! Should we be wondering whether or not this will be a new version of "merching," based the way Kate Mansey and the rest of the British press has framed this issue?

"Friends are now intrigued to find that the wait goes on." Oh, really? Which "friends" would those be? Does one of these "friends" go by the first name Lee? With the last name Thompson?

Is that what Will & Kate's "friends" discuss when they get together, during Will & Kate's copious, free time? Whether or not Will & Kate are going to have set up their standards for warrant applications? Yes, why discuss the weather, sports, and your kids, when you can discuss royal warrants instead?

I remember back in January when Kate Mansey wrote this statement:

The granting of royal warrants, for example, from the Prince and Princess of Wales will only come when the couple is ready to do so.

Well, well, well...

In January, Mansey was writing about how warrant granting would happen when Will & Kate were magnanimously able to do so. Now, their "friends" are wondering why they can't?

Looks like that pr boost that THE KP TITANIC is so desperate for with the royal warrants ain't coming anytime soon!

I haven't been following the Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni lawsuit much lately. Basically because I've been watching and following the Karen Read re-trial, which has been sucking up my free time. (Hoping that it only has about two weeks left.)

I did see that Taylor Swift apparently gave Baldoni's lawyer the information or texts that he wanted. It'll be interesting to see how things shake out in the weeks ahead.

Jessica Mulroney paid for MM’s private jet??

More like JM’s business paid for the jet along with everything else. Which I’m sure JM and the PR she used was heavily compensated for. Even if Meghan’s Mirror isn’t run by JM herself, it’s tweets indicate this “PRIVATE” baby shower was highly publicized/promoted:

I wondered how many suitcases were required to transport nearly a dozen brand new winter coats to the Games.

The Daily Mail has the video footage of the jet arriving in Santa Barbara. How was she there for five (5) days?

Flight on Feb 11th from Vancouver to Seattle to Santa Barbara

Did they arrive on Friday? Flight on Feb 7th from Santa Barbara to Vancouver

Canadair jets lease for $8,000 per hour.

Video:

She didn't even bother to carry 1 of her dozen new coats off the plane. She left it for the help. Several shopping bags, 4+trunks, xtra large duffle (maybe security/driver). 🤦‍♂️

Nice Vacation

"Prince Harry and Meghan had an early Valentine's dinner date with close friends Michael Buble and his wife Luisana. The two couples spent over two hours at an Italian restaurant after they completed their first full day of engagements in the ski resort. The dinner date was at the upmarket Il Caminetto where they spent Valentine's Day last year during a two-day event to promote the Invictus Games. 

People Magazine: The couple have been warmly welcomed by friends and family of the competitors as well as skiers who are in the resort for a holiday. They delighted a 1,000 strong crowd at a celebration event to open the games in Whistler where competitors will take part in adaptive winter sports, such as the skeleton and biathlon.

SECURITY

Plans were not given in advance for security reasons, and a source close to the couple said: 'This was always planned. Meghan is going home to be with her children.

'Meghan left the Games in Dusseldorf early after five days to go home. This is Prince Harry's event and she is there to support him, but this was planned. 'It comes after Meghan was said to have told fans at a wheelchair basketball game in Vancouver on Sunday that she was missing her children. Harry meanwhile, will stay in Canada to watch the rest of the tournament for injured service personnel and veterans, which will end with Sunday's closing ceremony. While this means the couple will be apart on Valentine's Day this Friday, aides said that Meghan had always planned to leave and let Harry attend the remaining events solo."