The Royal Mega Thread, Part II

[Sarzy]

The Princess of Wales cheered England to victory as she dodged the rain at the Rugby League World Cup Quarter Final after taking over the royal as patron from Prince Harry.
The mother-of-three, 40, said she was 'proud to be their patron' after both the men and women's teams triumphed over Papua New Guinea and Canada DW Stadium in Wigan this afternoon.





www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11393281/Princess-Wales-stuns-scarlet-braves-rain-Rugby-League-World-Cup-Quarter-Final.html




Prince Andrew was left 'tearful' after a tense face-to-face meeting with Charles, then Prince of Wales, who told his younger brother he will never return to Royal duties, a source has claimed.

The Duke of York believes he could 'still be of value' as a working member of the Royal Family despite his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and has lobbied strenuously to resume his former roles.

But The Mail on Sunday understands these hopes were dashed in a private early morning meeting at Charles's Birkhall estate in Scotland days before the Queen's death.

No one else was present for the discussions, described as 'emotional and fraught'.

Andrew was totally blindsided,' a source told The MoS, adding that the decision has left those around the duke concerned for him.

'He is utterly bereft. He always believed there was a way back.'

There will be further evidence of the Duke's isolation next Sunday, when he will be absent from the Remembrance Day service at The Cenotaph – the first in 70 years without Queen Elizabeth II.

Stripped of his official duties, he no longer has a role to play.

'Andrew was extremely close to the Queen and tried to raise the issue of his return to public life many times with her,' said the source.

On some occasions she would say mildly conciliatory things but most of the time she would change the subject immediately.'

It is understood that most senior figures in the Royal Family had thought the matter settled – that there was no way back. Yet this had not been Andrew's understanding.

'Naive as it may sound, he always had hopes of regaining his position as a senior royal,' continued the source.

'At the meeting Charles told him that he can go off and have a good life, a nice life, but that his public life as a Royal is at an end.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11393805/Prince-Andrew-tearful-Charles-said-NEVER-return-Royal-duties.html

[MsDark]

Way to go Charles!

Fuck Andrew.

Also:

I'd love to be able to wear a coat like Kate and still look thin.

I like seeing pics of her where men are smiling at her (and vice versa).

[czb]

but if it's raining, why is she wearing a wool coat? get a trench!

[lindsaywhit]

Random thoughts:

• Charlene does look much better. Still pitiful, though, and I think she does it on purpose. It wouldn't crack her face to make that pretend smile bigger.

• Kate really seems to be coming into her own. She's never going to be a "natural" at appearances/speeches/etc. But she shows up and gives it her best and I think in the long run that's probably more sustainable. I think she likes being the Princess of Wales - if only because the rags now call her that rather than Kate Middleton. (After over 10 years of marriage.)

• Charles is a punk, but one of the great positives of him being King is that he would finally kick entitled/creepy Andrew firmly to the luxury of the Royal Curb. I do love the Mail's: 'No one else was present for the discussion which was described as "emotional and fraught."'  So who described it? That description must have come from the King's camp - sending a public message that Andy's Royal Gravy Train has been permanently decommissioned.  
  
  
  

'At the meeting Charles told him that he can go off and have a good life, a nice life, but that his public life as a Royal is at an end.

eta: Damn - this is a great line. It is positively gleeful in its delicious condescension and finality. The King has been waiting so long to tell and show Andrew that he's no longer the favourite. Andrew has felt entitled and envious of Charles his whole life, even while delighting in his position as the Queen's favourite and rubbing Charles face in it whenever and wherever possible, but his reign is over, and I'm here for it. There's much I don't like about Charles, but I really don't think his parents even attempted to nurture and encourage him until the last couple years when it looked, at least to me, like the Queen really began to appreciate and rely on Charles. 

[sputnik]

are kate's boots brown or is it just the photos that make them look that way? I hope it's the latter because there's nothing i hate more than red and brown together (unless it's tan).

[waterslide]

If they’re black boots, I kinda of like this look for her. She looks so pretty and so much better in bold jewel colors.

[lindsaywhit]

Nov 6, 2022 20:53:03 GMT sputnik said:

are kate's boots brown or is it just the photos that make them look that way? I hope it's the latter because there's nothing i hate more than red and brown together (unless it's tan).

So my original post was this: Really? I quite like red and brown if they are the right shades.

And then I googled red & brown outfits to show an example and they were... so awful. You're right, red & brown are horrible together. I did come across this though, and thought I'd share:

[waterslide]

I think red and brown could go together if you’re going for a kitschy 1970s/90s bohemian look but Kate could never pull that off, or wouldn’t try, or wouldn’t be allowed to, etc. Might also work for a 40s Andrews Sisters look/costume. I gave it a lot of thought after sputnik mentioned it.😂

Also, I differentiate between tan and beige…I doubt I could put that into words, but tan angers me way less than beige.

[no1novice]

Nov 6, 2022 20:53:03 GMT sputnik said:

are kate's boots brown or is it just the photos that make them look that way? I hope it's the latter because there's nothing i hate more than red and brown together (unless it's tan).

"Kate opted for a pair of square-toed burgundy suede boots as she walked onto the pitch to meet the England and Papua New Guinea players this afternoon "

[waterslide]

Burgundy? Now that I look at them again, they do look…well…brown more than burgundy. I don’t get the point.

ETA I didn’t realize her shirt is dark red or possibly burgundy, too.

[sputnik]

Norway princess quits royal duties for alternative medicine


Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and her fiancé, self-professed shaman Durek Verrett, arrive at a celebration in Oslo


By Oliver Slow
BBC News
Norway's Princess Märtha Louise has relinquished her royal duties to focus on her alternative medicine business with her fiancé, a self-styled shaman.

The Princess will keep her title, but is surrendering official duties to "create a clearer dividing line" between her private and royal role.

Her fiancé, Durek Verrett, has promoted unfounded medical practices, including suggesting cancer is a choice.

The American also claims to have influenced Gwyneth Paltrow.

Princess Märtha Louise is "relinquishing her patronage role" as she and Mr Verrett seek to "distinguish more clearly between their activities and the Royal House of Norway", the palace said in a statement. It added that King Harald V had decided she would keep her title.

"She has performed her duties with warmth, care and deep commitment," the statement said.

Despite the announcement, King Harald described Mr Verrett as a "a great guy and very funny to be with".

"He has a lot of humour, and we laugh a lot, even in this difficult time. I think both we and he have gained a greater understanding of what this is about, and we've agreed to disagree," King Harald told Norwegian reporters.

In a separate statement, Princess Märtha Louise said she was "aware of the importance of research-based knowledge", but that she believed alternative medicine can be "an important supplement to help from the conventional medical establishment".

She added that it was important to "distinguish between myself as a private person on the one hand and as a member of the Royal Family on the other".

The Princess, 51, has attracted controversy in Norway for decades for her involvement in alternative treatments, including starting a school that aimed to help people "get in touch with their angels". She has been accused of using her royal title for competitive gain.

In 2002, she married Norwegian writer and artist Ari Behn and the couple had three daughters. They divorced in 2017 and Mr Behn - who had discussed suffering from depression - died by suicide on Christmas Day 2019.

In June, Princess Märtha Louise became engaged to Mr Verrett. She announced the relationship in a 2019 Instagram post, pre-empting potential criticism.

In the post, she said: "To those of you who feel the need to criticise: Hold your horses. It is not up to you to choose for me or to judge me. Shaman Durek is merely a man I love spending my time with and who fulfils me."

Despite that post, the couple have attracted considerable criticism among many in Norway, with Mr Verrett variously being described as "a charlatan", a conman and a conspiracy theorist.

Former Prime Minister Erna Solberg described his views as "very strange" and "not based on facts", adding that his ideas promoted conspiracy theories.

Mr Durek - an African-American who describes himself as a "6th Generation Shaman" - has claimed to have risen from the dead and to have predicted the 9/11 attacks in the United States two years before they took place.

He has said the criticism he faces is due to racism, saying he has "never experienced as much racism" as when he came to Norway. He has also compared himself to the likes of Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison, claiming they were "geniuses" and "misunderstood".

On his website, he describes himself as a "visionary for the 'Now Age'" who "demystifies spirituality". He said his work had influenced actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Nina Dobrev.

A survey published in September found that just 13% of Norwegians thought Princess Märtha Louise should represent the Royal Family in official duties.

A royal biographer told local media: "I think this is more about the occult phenomenon she's been associated with, than the princess as a person."

www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63562191

[MsDark]

Her fiancé, Durek Verrett, has promoted unfounded medical practices, including suggesting cancer is a choice.

Oh lawd.  A "shaman"??

So I guess this (marrying a medical crackpot) is better than marrying say, an American actress?  Right??

[Taniwha]

Nice. Forget the married man, how about just - not ok for any man to treat an employee like this. Apparently the British press thinks this is just a joke, he’s a regular bloke. Barf.

[MsDark]

Haven't there already been cheating rumors about this dude that seemed to go away quick?

And then she had another baby. Kind of reminds me of someone.

[Taniwha]

Yes, pretty soon after they were married. But something, something, memoir!!!