Home Top

She came to break-up a fight and ended up winning a dance-off: Teen regrets the day she threw down Whip Nae Nae challenge to a cop - and was floored by her moves
Prep school graduate sentenced to one year in jail - despite plea for mercy from his mother - after his victim tells the court she wanted to die after the assault
Forget counting calories! Count your BITES to lose weight: Recording how often you chomp on food 'helps dieters eat less and shed pounds'
US aircraft carrier scrambles fighter jets to intercept approaching Russian bombers off Korea
EXCLUSIVE: 'Would you let me see your kids naked?' Shocking secret recordings reveal how Jared Fogle tried to pull Florida woman's two young children into his sick sex fantasy
Take a ride on Elon Musk's Hyperloop: Concept video reveals what travelling on the high-speed futuristic capsules will look like
EXCLUSIVE: Is this the next First Lady? As Donald tops the polls, Melania Trump's journey from a Communist's daughter and teenage model to White House favorite's wife is revealed
No apology - and a snarky new attack on the Republicans from CNBC moderator who angered every candidate
The verdict is in: Republican insiders tell Jeb to quit now after debate disaster
Ben Carson opens up about his Seventh Day Adventist faith, revealing he almost quit over racial segregation and believes denomination is less important than belief
Bathghazi! Seven members of Hillary Clinton's staff get locked in a bathroom at her Brooklyn campaign headquarters
Fun for the whole family! Donald Trump's glamorous wife and children (and even their spouses) rally to support the presidential candidate at Republican debate
CNBC expected to post record ratings from GOP debate - but nowhere near what Fox and CNN brought in
MSNBC's Joe Scarborough calls sister network's debate a 'cluster' - while Fox folks promise to 'make debates great again' in the aftermath of last night's CNBC mess
Republican debate runs off the rails and turns into all-out war as Trump bashes John Kasich, Jeb hits his protege Marco Rubio, and EVERYONE hammers CNBC's moderators for losing control
'Outrageous!' Marco Rubio hits out at Hillary Clinton for making light of Benghazi - after she uses shoulder brush tweet to mock Republican debate
John Boenher cries as he emotionally steps down as House speaker - before passing the gavel to successor Paul Ryan with a hug
'Tonight was a great success' says Trump of his performance in CNBC's debate - which he says 'was tough but...fair'
Celeb-obsessed recluse who impersonated NBA star AND a 17-year-old girl, set them up to have sex and then blackmailed him is jailed
Lamar Odom leaves ICU and 'is walking with help and talking more' two weeks after brush with death from overdose at a Nevada brothel
TSA agents 'forced 90-year-old woman to take off her shirt and bra' after full-body scanner picked up a secret pocket in her lingerie
Archdiocese objects to live TV exorcism set to air for Halloween from inside the same house that inspired the 1973 horror film
Woman sues ex-husband who posted her phone number on Craigslist and asked other men to come round and take 'advantage of her' sexually
Shootout at Twin Peaks caught on video: Surveillance footage captures frantic biker gunfight that left nine dead and 177 arrested

For pity's sake leave her alone: She's going grey. Her eyeliner's too thick. And for a new mum, she's way too thin. To the growing army of viciously cruel Kate critics on the web, AMANDA PLATELL has a message

Published: 19:10 EST, 27 October 2015 | Updated: 03:44 EST, 28 October 2015

3.1k

View
comments

Not many women could glide onto the red carpet, effortlessly stealing the limelight from a coterie of exquisite Bond girls.

Particularly not if they were a harried mother-of-two with a high-profile job who gave birth only six months ago — and having to cope with the unbelievable pressures of her role as well as the global adulation that goes with it.

But on Monday, the Duchess of Cambridge did just that at the world premiere of the new James Bond film, Spectre.

As polished and poised as ever, Kate was a vision in diaphanous ice-blue chiffon.

See the latest news and style from the Duchess of Cambridge

Polished and poised: On Monday, the Duchess of Cambridge stepped out in diaphanous ice-blue chiffon (left) at the world premiere of the new James Bond film, Spectre. Her gown showed a sliver of bare back (right)

And yes, the eyes of the world were upon her, as always.

And yes, there were those who celebrated her beauty, delighting in all the little details: from the tiny crystal buttons sewn onto the sleeves of her Jenny Packham gown to the Robinson Pelham earrings worn by Kate’s mother on her daughter’s wedding day.

But there was another group of people, too: the armies of whispering Kate critics who, fingers itching, rushed to vent their bile online.

How callously they zoom in on her immaculate smokey eye make-up lest her kohl be too heavy.

How critically they scour her elegant hair up-do for rogue silvery strands, her forehead for telltale whispery creases.

Yet such spite is as nothing compared to the way her post-partum body is held up to public scrutiny.

So, this week, did our future queen foresee the online derision that little sliver of bare back would provoke?

The intense debate over whether she was wearing a bra? Or, indeed, whether someone so ‘skinny’ and ‘flat-chested’ needed a bra at all?

Husband and wife: There were those who celebrated Kate's beauty, delighting in all the little details, including the crystal buttons sewn on the sleeves of her Jenny Packham gown. Above, Kate and William at the event

Beat winter blues in a pastel dress like the Duchess

Bespoke Jenny Packham

Shop the ready-to-wear collection at Net A Porter

Buy now

Spectre is the third James Bond film to be chosen as a Royal Film Performance Title and the 007 cast must be feeling honored to have the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge walking the same red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall.

The movie is one that's been long-awaited and while we have been crushing over Lea Seydoux, Monica Bellucci and Naomie Harris' dresses, we've been on the countdown for the royal arrival.

The Duchess opted for a Jenny Packham gown for the occasion, choosing a piece in a wintry pastel blue with beautiful waist embellishment. This is the third time this year the princess has chosen British designer Jenny Packham, who has clearly become one of her favorites. She originally wore the brand back in May when leaving the hospital with Princess Charlotte and then again just recently for the Chinese President's visit to the United Kingdom.

You cannot buy this blue piece, but if you click through to Net A Porter (right) you'll find Jenny Packham's current ready-to-wear line which you can shop now. Alternatively, scroll our edit of dresses below which will help you look royally fabulous this winter.

* PRICES MAY NOT BE AS ADVERTISED

...NOW GET ONE LIKE IT

Poor Kate. The pretty young woman from the Home Counties who had the good luck, or misfortune, to fall in love with a Prince. How does she cope with being the subject of such relentless commentary?

Nothing could possibly have prepared her for the unending pressure of becoming a senior member of The Firm, the sheer weight of responsibility of being a future king’s consort, of raising the next generation of monarchs.

Who among us could — or would want to — walk in her shoes, be they the sparkliest of Jimmy Choos? And yet the ‘haters’ keep on hating.

The main criticism, as if you needed reminding, is that Kate has lost too much weight following Charlotte’s birth.

In fact, her skinniness has long been the complaint — before her wedding, after her wedding (too thin to conceive, I remember the trolls jeering) and during pregnancy as she battled chronic morning sickness.

Even that famous feminist, Germaine Greer, called her ‘too thin’ last year.

Online criticism: However, there was another group of people: the armies of whispering Kate critics who, fingers itching, rushed to vent their bile online. Above, Kate laughs as she meets actor Daniel Craig

Too heavy? How callously they zoom in on her immaculate smokey eye make-up lest her kohl be too heavy

Every time she leaves her home, computer keyboards across the globe tap in unison, critically dissecting her 33-year-old woman’s body.

Earlier this week, Twitter was once again ablaze with faux concern for her lack of weight.

‘Kate Middleton looks ghastly thin … like seriously ill. Is everyone going to pretend she looks good?’ wrote one.

‘Kate is starting to look as thin as her husband’s hair,’ sniped another.

Another added: ‘Anyone else think that Kate Duchess of Cambridge is unhealthy thin? Reminiscent of Princess Diana. Very worrying.’

That was just Twitter. A cursory glance across the rest of the web reveals countless putdowns: ‘Kate looks too thin and ill. Life as a royal may be too demanding!’

Sarcastic, naturally, but there is an element of truth here. Of course, Kate’s role is demanding and references to Diana are all but inevitable.

No human being, I would suggest, can stand the level of attention that Kate receives.

Diana couldn’t.

In the public eye: Every time Kate leaves her home, computer keyboards across the globe tap in unison, critically dissecting her 33-year-old woman’s body. Above, Kate and Prince Harry chat to Sam Mendes

Dressed up: The Duke of Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry walk down the red carpet at the event

And we should never forget how her life tragically, bulimically spiralled out of control under the heartbreak of a loveless marriage.

That is why William is so rightly protective of his wife and children.

He’s seen what being part of The Firm can do to an outsider, a newcomer to the sycophantic courtiers, the dysfunctional relatives and the 24/7 goldfish bowl.

Kate has been photographed millions of times since she became close to William after meeting as students at St Andrews University in 2001.

Back then, she was a fit, toned, relatively curvy country girl.

Who can forget that picture of her on the catwalk at university in a black lace dress that showed her underwear when she first caught Prince William’s eye?

Faux concern: Earlier this week, Twitter was once again ablaze with faux concern for her lack of weight

She lost weight before her wedding — but then every bride does.

Even Fergie dropped a dress size before marrying Prince Andrew.

But since her two pregnancies, Kate has, there’s no denying, become thinner still.

But, rather than criticising her, surely we should all try to understand. Let’s not forget the dreadfully acute morning sickness she suffered for months on end.

And imagine having just given birth after a ghastly pregnancy and then having to step out on to the steps of the hospital and be photographed by the world’s media.

Such is the life of a modern royal. People’s appetite for fairytale-gilded princesses seems insatiable.

Aagh, say her detractors, mainly monarchy haters: she is so privileged with her staff and live-in nanny. That’s a million miles away from the lives of most young mothers.

The whisperers don’t want to know that Kate is, in fact, a very hands-on mum, who is said to tend her children during the night rather than leaving them to the nanny.

An endless cycle of sleepless nights is sure to hollow out even the plumpest of cheeks.

The whisperers give no credit to the laudable fact that she and William are determined to give their children as normal a childhood as possible.

Unsurprisingly, considering his own appalling childhood as the victim of warring parents, William wants for his young son George and baby daughter Charlotte the kind of normal upbringing his wife had in the close-knit Middleton family.

That’s why he moved them all to Anmer Hall in Norfolk to have some privacy and, of course, where they could spend time with Kate’s mum, Carole — something that’s provoked cruel comments by the whisperers.

But then who doesn’t need their mum for advice and support with two young children to care for?

No matter how much help you have access to, being a mother of two young children is remorseless — and, according to his dad, George is a ‘handful’, a boisterous child who needs lots of nurturing. Add the stress of having a five-month-old daughter and you can see why Kate almost instantly lost her baby weight.

Surely no one really thinks that she went on a Victoria Beckham baby diet to be stick thin just weeks after her child was born.

Hands-on mum: The whisperers don’t want to know that Kate is, in fact, a very hands-on mum, who is said to tend her children during the night rather than leaving them to the nanny. Above, Kate and son, Prince George

But, then again, just imagine what the whisperers would be saying if she’d developed a baby paunch. The trolls would be out in force.

So, if she was intent on shedding the baby weight as quickly as humanly possible, could we really blame her?

Surely only those blessed with unshakeable self-confidence can say they would be happy to be photographed in broad daylight from every conceivable angle days, weeks, months after giving birth without trying to appear a little slimmer.

What new mum, when not juggling sleeplessness and the constant demands of feeding, doesn’t feel the pangs of longing for her pre-pregnancy body?

Kate has been photographed millions of times since she became close to William after meeting as students at St Andrews University in 2001. Back then, she was a fit, toned, relatively curvy country girl

And remember, Kate doesn’t have the advantages of being trained for royal duties from an early age.

She’s had to learn it all from scratch and, quite frankly, she hasn’t put a foot wrong since she became engaged to William five years ago.

Ah, William ... Unlike his younger brother, who seems to take his royal role in his stride and actually enjoys the good he can do for his various causes, William appears begrudging and uncomfortable in his role.

It is said he never got over the death of his mother when he was just 15.

Unlike his father, he is said not to be jealous of his wife’s celebrity status. But, like his father, he appears conflicted and uneasy over his royal role.

And it can’t have helped, noticing over the breakfast table yesterday, that his wife was on the front cover of most newspapers and leading TV bulletins while he was hardly pictured or mentioned at all.

But even then Kate can’t win.

For the whisperers attack her for attending just 25 public engagements in 2015 and only nine since Charlotte’s birth, including two appearances at the World Cup rugby.

While Kate did 34 official engagements in her first year married to William, Diana was out 170 times as the new wife of Prince Charles.

Parents: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pose with their daughter, Princess Charlotte, after her birth

In 1991 she performed 397 royal duties, not including her tireless behind-the-scenes work for the homeless and HIV sufferers.

But, then again, look where that got Princess Diana. Burnt out, bulimic, emotionally unstable, chasing unsuitable suitors and craving the limelight. It was a recipe for tragedy.

William is right to protect Kate and his children, to give them time to grow up as much like a normal family as they possibly can.

If I were Carole Middleton, I’d be round at Anmer Hall every night with a delicious home-cooked shepherd’s pie — and I’d stand over her to make sure she ate every last mouthful of it.

But I would also fire a volley at my daughter’s whispering detractors and ask them if they could really do better than the young woman who has the most difficult job in the world.