Thank you from the US. We don't see this coverage unless we seek it out. It is a surprise, yet not surprising between them. They have natural personalities and Id also believe that C. brought that out in W. No seams indicating a mend as you put it. And their "advance" as we'd call it here in political and corporate work is on point and seamless. Done with care and dedication. You cannot fake or buy either. The Harkles can learn the lines and buy the publicity, but they cannot fake or buy this.
This is the London, the England, that I love and remember. That I hearken back to. The London markets, the pubs (oh yes, the pubs, the pubs everywhere), and the West Country. I have spent a lot of time in Somerset with friends in, yes, the pubs and in walking in the rolling hills, tramping up to look at a scene that has little changed in hundreds of years. Oh and yes, the RNLI, as I look across at my RNLI teddy bear, bought at a station in Ireland. I came to know the RNLI very well when I lived in a seaside village there; the tragedies and the sheer goodness of people.
THIS happy side of England, of that part of the world (yes, yes of course I know the Republic of Ireland isn't part of the UK but I've lived in both places) is what draws me to William & Catherine--they showcase it. I know there's another side, a darker side in the city centers and I don't avert my eyes from that either. I lived that, too, when I worked in the outskirts of London in the 1970s and watched the strikers' riots, experienced for myself the lack of housing. One time, after I had moved to Canada for a better life but was so very "homesick" for London, I returned and walked the streets. I finally stood outside of St Pauls Cathedral and watched people go by. I realized that as a middle-of-the-road tourist I could enjoy London and England in a way that, slogging day to day there, I wouldn't be able to. I will always, always, love London but I know the reality of it and I understand that, as a Canadian/American, enjoying the romance is one thing, actually living there is quite another.
Still William, especially, with his patronages of Centrepoint and the crisis hotlines, his experience with Air Ambulance as well as with his own country tramps and down-to-earth engagements, makes me feel happy. The best of the UK as I personally knew it. I appreciate him for that. And Catherine? She represents so many wonderful women I knew (and still know) there, empathic, honest and just plain, as William, as down-to-earth as someone with a lot of wealth can be.
What a beautifully balanced reflection. You’ve captured something many people feel about London—that it holds both romance and reality at the same time. The markets, the pubs, the rolling countryside, and the quiet heroism of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution are part of a living memory many of us recognise. Those small acts of community spirit often say more about a place than the headlines ever do.
Perhaps that is why people respond so warmly to William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales. Their work—from William’s time with the London Air Ambulance Charity and support of Centrepoint, to Catherine’s steady, thoughtful engagements—reflects that same grounded spirit you describe. Not the postcard version of Britain, but the quieter, steadier one built on service, community, and ordinary decency. Your memories brought that to life wonderfully
A lovely piece. They are reading the room, and doing their best to simply do the job they are trained to do. Privilege comes with responsibility and not overt marketing.
Yes it's a pleasure to see these two, more appreciated than ever because of all the ugly, negative press that the AMW/Epstein debacle has generated. Yes we do read that as we know this episode is one of the worst to rock the Monarchy in decades, however we need a bit of a McVitie's every once in awhile to keep proper perspective. One thing that did come in for some criticism on other social media is the Wales' event with RNLI taxiing in the boat people not understanding or maybe wanting to understand it's done at the request of of His Majesty's Coastguard, which chagrined me a little. But yes, all told this visit & the coverage was a shot in the arm!
Thank you for this cosy and comforting report. English pubs, apple cider, genuine connections between people. It’s what reminds us that not all is grim
Thank you from the US. We don't see this coverage unless we seek it out. It is a surprise, yet not surprising between them. They have natural personalities and Id also believe that C. brought that out in W. No seams indicating a mend as you put it. And their "advance" as we'd call it here in political and corporate work is on point and seamless. Done with care and dedication. You cannot fake or buy either. The Harkles can learn the lines and buy the publicity, but they cannot fake or buy this.
That was a refreshing and encouraging read. Thank-you.
This is the London, the England, that I love and remember. That I hearken back to. The London markets, the pubs (oh yes, the pubs, the pubs everywhere), and the West Country. I have spent a lot of time in Somerset with friends in, yes, the pubs and in walking in the rolling hills, tramping up to look at a scene that has little changed in hundreds of years. Oh and yes, the RNLI, as I look across at my RNLI teddy bear, bought at a station in Ireland. I came to know the RNLI very well when I lived in a seaside village there; the tragedies and the sheer goodness of people.
THIS happy side of England, of that part of the world (yes, yes of course I know the Republic of Ireland isn't part of the UK but I've lived in both places) is what draws me to William & Catherine--they showcase it. I know there's another side, a darker side in the city centers and I don't avert my eyes from that either. I lived that, too, when I worked in the outskirts of London in the 1970s and watched the strikers' riots, experienced for myself the lack of housing. One time, after I had moved to Canada for a better life but was so very "homesick" for London, I returned and walked the streets. I finally stood outside of St Pauls Cathedral and watched people go by. I realized that as a middle-of-the-road tourist I could enjoy London and England in a way that, slogging day to day there, I wouldn't be able to. I will always, always, love London but I know the reality of it and I understand that, as a Canadian/American, enjoying the romance is one thing, actually living there is quite another.
Still William, especially, with his patronages of Centrepoint and the crisis hotlines, his experience with Air Ambulance as well as with his own country tramps and down-to-earth engagements, makes me feel happy. The best of the UK as I personally knew it. I appreciate him for that. And Catherine? She represents so many wonderful women I knew (and still know) there, empathic, honest and just plain, as William, as down-to-earth as someone with a lot of wealth can be.
What a beautifully balanced reflection. You’ve captured something many people feel about London—that it holds both romance and reality at the same time. The markets, the pubs, the rolling countryside, and the quiet heroism of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution are part of a living memory many of us recognise. Those small acts of community spirit often say more about a place than the headlines ever do.
Perhaps that is why people respond so warmly to William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales. Their work—from William’s time with the London Air Ambulance Charity and support of Centrepoint, to Catherine’s steady, thoughtful engagements—reflects that same grounded spirit you describe. Not the postcard version of Britain, but the quieter, steadier one built on service, community, and ordinary decency. Your memories brought that to life wonderfully
Thank goodness for happy news.
A lovely piece. They are reading the room, and doing their best to simply do the job they are trained to do. Privilege comes with responsibility and not overt marketing.
Yes it's a pleasure to see these two, more appreciated than ever because of all the ugly, negative press that the AMW/Epstein debacle has generated. Yes we do read that as we know this episode is one of the worst to rock the Monarchy in decades, however we need a bit of a McVitie's every once in awhile to keep proper perspective. One thing that did come in for some criticism on other social media is the Wales' event with RNLI taxiing in the boat people not understanding or maybe wanting to understand it's done at the request of of His Majesty's Coastguard, which chagrined me a little. But yes, all told this visit & the coverage was a shot in the arm!
Thank you for this cosy and comforting report. English pubs, apple cider, genuine connections between people. It’s what reminds us that not all is grim