If it turns out she's been murdered and eaten I'll probably feel bad for saying this...

[conuly]

but I still don't care about the British Royal Family and their shenanigans, and only harbor a vague resentment that I know enough about them to have any sort of opinion at all.

With that said, I don't know what's up with that photo or what, but making/asking/allowing Kate to apologize for meddling with it was shitty. Even if she was the one who did that poor editing job (for fun? to hide scars? as a plea for help?) they could throw the blame on some unnamed nobody, surely! Somebody safely imaginary who isn't going through a trying time - and whatever's going on must be very trying. It certainly sounds that way.

But whatever, she's probably in rehab or something. I mean, wouldn't you be if you had to deal with all this nonsense all the time? (And couldn't those people afford better photo manipulation? I mean, really! They have enough money!)

Comments

[lilysea]

Personally I think it's long past time to do away with the monarchy

I think the monarchy is a massive waste of public resources that could be better spent on eg the NHS/public healthcare

and has not served any useful purpose since the time of Charles I or so...

Having said that, being a woman and a member of the royal family is a special circle of hell - the degree of press scrutiny and harsh criticism on how royal women look/dress/behave expects them to be androids and not humans

[cimorene]

All of this... my thoughts exactly. Press coverage of them in the uk is so completely unhinged, although perhaps it's just the uk tabloids in general and not really much worse for them than other celebrities. Still, it's a bit revolting to witness. I hope she's benefiting from distance, whatever is happening.

[conuly]

Press coverage of them in the uk is so completely unhinged

This fact is part of what's fueling the conspiracy theories, as I understand it - the press coverage has been respectful to the point of being entirely nonexistent.

[cimorene]

Oh no. Sounds like their press office must be a truly terrible job. They really can't win!

[conuly]

Unless you cut off all their heads and confiscate their property you're unlikely to get very much back from ditching the monarchy.

[lilysea]

They get

a) significant government funding every year; in addition to

b) significant ***tax exemptions*** on their assets which other very rich people don't get every year

[lilysea]

They get a "sovereign grant" from the UK government, which is £44.4 million pounds a year ($56,877,321 US Dollars)

[conuly]

I still think you should consider confiscating all their personal property. It's the only way to be sure.

[cimorene]

I often think this. I mean, maybe not like, all their clothes and their teddy bears and paperback books, but definitely all the properties and antiquities and jewels and vehicles.

[jhetley]

Chopping off royal heads didn't work the last time.

[conuly]

I'm going to spend the next month digging up ragweed, getting every bit of root I can find. They spread by runners, so patches don't stay clear unless you do it again and again and again. But with time and patience I will be successful.