I know that I am usually the one that you hear saying that there must have been a reason that Catherine and her staff chose to handle an event, the release of photos, or the release of information a certain way. Again today, I keep reminding myself that there MUST be a reason…but for the life of me I JUST CANNOT FIGURE OUT THE RATIONALE BEHIND THIS ONE.
Last night EACH held a Gala dinner at the Natural History Museum. To me the collaboration of two of her patronages at this late date in the year, for an appeal that she has been involved with from the start seemed like a perfect match for her royal diary. Somehow I was wrong.
One of the first Royal Patronages that Catherine took on was that of Royal Patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices or EACH. at the time, Catherine chose to shine a bright spotlight on the cause of Children’s Hospice Care and Pediatric Palliative Care by giving her first public speech at the EACH Treehouse in Ipswich, Suffolk. Her first public speech while overseas was on the topic as well.
The more that I learned about the work that EACH does, the more I felt a strong connection to the organization, and the more I became determined to do what I could with the platform that I have to help them. It is a passion that continues to this very morning and is part of why the sadness and disappointment that I feel is so very strong. There were some tears last night and there are more as I write this…I feel like Catherine has let a perfect opportunity slip through her hands.
You see last night, EACH held their inaugural Gala at the Natural History Museum. They even had the ONLY live headlining performance that their Grammy Award-Winning Ambassador Ed Sheeran will do this year…and Catherine was not there.
Before you roll your eyes at me and tell me to get over it, hear me out. I don’t expect Catherine to be a Sheerio, I honestly don’t care what she thinks of Ed’s music. (Okay, so I hope she loves it and I pray that she and William have slow danced somewhere in Kensington Palace to “Thinking Out Loud”…not my point). I expect her to do her job and show up at functions for her various patronages where her attendance can make a difference.
Yes I know this was a glitzy gala. Yes I know that she attended “A Taste of Norfolk” at Houghton Hall. That was June — this is December. Just because you went to one does not mean you can or should skip the other. I have been to my share of rubber chicken, predictable menu dinners…you dress up, show up
, and smile. Turns out this menu was anything but predictable, an adult take on childhood favorites.
When I first heard the announcement about this gala I squealed and did what passes for a happy dance over here (Ed calls it a hamster dance). As I learned the details of the event my hopes kept skyrocketing that I would finally get to see Ed and Catherine join forces in support of a wonderful organization.
My hopes, I thought, were well founded . I mean, this was a large event, for one of her patronages, hosted by another of her patronages. It’s event date made it perfect timing as she would likely be back in London for various holiday functions. Being at the end of November, it would make for a perfect final charity event of the year. And she has been at several events aimed to help with EACH’s “Nook Appeal”. She’d add this to her diary, I was just sure of it. Sadly, I was wrong.
Your Royal Highness, sending a short statement to be read last night is not the same thing as showing up to lend your support. It was completely understandable that you took the time to attend the memorial for the late Duke of Westminster, things like that should always be attended if at all possible. The problem is that you have only had one day of public engagements since Remembrance Sunday. Your husband, on the other hand…has had several days of engagements and he had a full day of outings in Derby yesterday and then topped it off with a black-tie event at the V & A Museum as Royal Patron of Tusk. I get that you want to be a hands on mom, but you also hold a position in life that means you need to spend time in the public eye supporting various organizations. This was an easy event that you passed up, I don’t understand why.
The Nook Appeal is EACH’s vision to transform children’s palliative care in Norfolk and deliver even better children’s hospice care services. This plans for the £10 Million project include a new purpose-built hospice in the heart of the county, called the nook.
The new site will replace the current hospice in Quidenham, a building not designed or equipped in the way the other two hospices are. Given its age and design can’t be successfully redeveloped. Accessibility is really limited, as is flexibility, and there just isn’t the scope to expand. It’s on two floors with narrow doorways and corridors and just a single small lift to allow wheelchair access upstairs.
EACH currently provides specialist care and support for 328 children and young people with an additional 405 family members receiving face-to-face therapeutic support. With high demand in Norfolk they are caring for 119 children and young people and 205 family members. The nook will allow them to do this while offering greater choice in a much improved, significantly larger, and more appropriate environment. This will positively impact on care delivered both in the hospice and in the community throughout Norfolk.
The new location will also be closer to the center of the county with easier access to hospitals, services, and major roadways that will make it so much easier for the families who need EACH to make the most of their services.
I am not crazy enough to think that Catherine and Ed joining forces for this one event would bring in the funds to complete the appeal….I’m not even sure exactly how close they are to that £10 Million amount as there are some donations that they cannot mention at this time and others that are based on factors that not even the donor can control. What I do know is that if Catherine had attended the event there would have been even more eyes on it and some of those eyes might have led, through attendance, auction bids, and other things to even more funds being raised. If you wish to donate you may do so here.
And that is before we get to the crowds of people who were tuned in online…..we know there are thousands of people who watch for every move Catherine makes, and every piece that she wears; sites like A Petite Princess would not be here if they didn’t. Now, add in for me the millions of fans of Ed Sheeran, who before this had not heard from Ed on social media since 13 December 2015, hadn’t seen him in public for an interview (yes, there have been sightings but they were on his private time…he’s not been a total hermit), and hadn’t heard the opening chords of “I’m a Mess”, “Give Me Love”, “Lego House” or any other song in almost a year. They missed him. I missed him. And yet as summer turned to autumn and we began to hope for his promised return, we knew he would come when the time was right. He came back to us with a set that in truth was about the length of half a normal concert.
Last night I was able to use social media to my advantage and do 2 or 3 things at once. It was all about balance, I was making notes for my article on the Gala and making notes for this article, all with an ear on Ed. Balance can be hard to find sometimes, but when found it means fans like me can focus on getting information out to other fans who don’t know about his connection to EACH, what he has done for them in the past, and most importantly what his fans who are over the moon at hearing him back on stage can do to help this great cause. Ed’s fans are not selfish with their resources. Some of his recent auctions for EACH and St. Elizabeth’s have raised impressive amounts and his fans will rally to in assistance of a favored cause any time we are asked.
If both fandoms had been in action last night the results might have been incredible. I know the photos would have been everywhere, and I’d have been commenting on most of them with information on how to help….and I have Sheerio friends that are unbelievably fantastic at drawing attention to causes.
Catherine, Ma’am, I’ll never understand why you were not there. But that won’t stop me from doing everything I can for EACH.
Just because she wasn’t there, doesn’t mean she hadn’t intended to be. Lots of things can happen to people from Illness of their or kids etc. Perhaps and this is a big perhaps she is pregnant again with her third child and suffering morning sickness. Perhaps that is why the Duke has been flying solo also. Have you ever not attended a family/work event for some reason beyond your control and had to send your apologies?
This certainly needs to be said……. Well done.
IMO, she doesn’t care. That’s basically all it boils down to. This is how I see her: as her cousin said of her, she only cares about herself and her own little orbit, and doesn’t really care about anything outside it and finds it difficult to do so. (This was during the engagement.) She just doesn’t care and does what she’s forced to do, shows up when it’s convenient for their numbers and good PR, that’s that. Look how much money she’s spent on her clothes this year! It’s staggering and disgusting, $200k! For how much work, is it?
The summer dinner was in Norfolk to cater to her and William’s whims. If it hadn’t been in Norfolk they’d not have showed up.
EACH is such a wonderful charity that needs that extra bit of oomph to get the attention to meet those fundraising goals. Ed showing is great! He does far more than Kate will ever do for EACH, because he cares and she does not. I’m so glad EACH has a patron like Ed to cover up the shortfall they get from a royal patron who doesn’t do her job. He seems like a lovely guy.
She wasn’t there because she’s lazy and she doesn’t actually care. Don’t know why her fans are so oblivious to this clearly evident fact.
It really was a missed opportunity, wouldn’t you love to know the thinking behind her absence/declination. They either don’t have the best advisors or are hesitant to taking advice. This kind of mistake- as I see it has happened before and it’s a real shame. First time reader here but longtime kate fan/observer. Insightful post.
Welcome! I hope you’ll stay and visit us more often.
Sad that she did not show up. Is she at all aware of the suffering of these children and their families are going through, and how her appearance at the Gala would have meant so much to them. It is obvious she has no clue, nor could she care that much. How awfully disappointing for all those who care so deeply about the hospice and the families they serve.
Unfortunately, the Duchess seems to missing the point of marrying into the royal family. Between not attending the Irish Guard ceremony earlier this year, not attending any events during Hospice week and now this, I just don’t get it. I mean she knew that royal life is about service to others, highlighting charities and those who work so hard to help others, right? While her engagement total is pretty high this year due to two tours, she’s still only worked 58 days this year and she’s only at her engagements for 30-45 minutes, certainly she could have spared an hour or so to help EACH reach their goal.
For some time now, I think that the Duchess of Cambriddge simply doesn’t do enough. And whenever someone says she does not have to do because she is simply the wife in the second in the line of succession, I roll my eyes and wonder: The magic and sad side of the monarchy is that it is linked to the cycle of life. William may be 20 years from being king or just two months. We will never know.
But one thing is certain: they have to be ready and show every day what kind of leader and role model you will be. In times like today where the work of members of royalty is widely publicized, people are also more demanding about it..
Catherine has enormous potential in her hands. But she just doesn’t seem interested in exploiting it. The good thing is that it does not stop other people like Ed or Trisha get involved in causes that are important to you.
I liked reading the post, not for criticizing Kate but for showing that each of us, royalty or not, can make a contribution to a better world.
Thank you Trisha.
I’m afraid you missed the point of this. I know you are an avid supporter of EACH, but do you think writing these presumptions will help their cause? I don’t think so, not at all. In fact I suspect they will be the first to defend their beloved patron if you asked them. Was Catherine supposed to even be at the gala, knowing fully well that Ed Sheeran as well as other EACH ambassadors often do their own thing for the charity? As you said, she and William had attended a similar gala this summer. Who is it to say she should attend this one, too, on the same night that her husband hosts a Tusk dinner gala, and her brother-in-law is on a very high profile tour of the Caribbean? It would’ve been nice if you asked EACH to clarify before concluding. More power to you. Sincerely, Jenny.
Jenny,
I appreciate your take on the matter, I can only say at this time that I would not have posted this article if I did not have reason to and I certainly didn’t post it without doing my research.
Her charities should simply drop her as patron, publicly. What a spoiled, lazy, entitled, tax-payer funded woman! She obviously does not know or care that it is a PRIVILEGE to HER to spend time in the company of such courageous children, their families, and all the EACH workers/volunteers that show up AFTER doing a full day of REAL work! She exhibits none of that courage or compassion that shows a person’s true character. I work in healthcare and the people that help these sick children on a daily basis are true angels on earth. This organization does not need such an unworthy patron; the children deserve so much better! For 5 years now she increasingly can’t be bothered. So withdraw every patronage she has, and give them to people who will appreciate them. Then let the palace sort out how to make her relevant in any way. Where are the consequences for such indifference? As I said, the CHILDREN deserve so much better!! What do they get from her “messages”??
Kate is a terrible person. She really just doesn’t care.
William, I don’t think she’s a terrible person. I think she missed a great and easy opportunity, and that those around her who help her set and alter her diary really need to do a better job and realize that there are more things that must be MUST DO events on the calendar, not just Trooping.
She will soon get to see what real humanitarian work is from Meghan Markle – Prince Harry’s girlfriend. That is a caring lovely patron. . She also cancelled out from the Irish Guard when she was supposed to give them Shamrocks, saying she wanted to spend time with her children. Quite pathetic. She has tons of help for her children – you would think she could spend a little bit of time to do what the Royal family has done for decades. She just bailed out on them. What give;s with this woman. I have lost all respect for her.