Prince William and Catherine attended several events in California this weekend surrounded by the stars, and the contrast between Royalty and Celebrity...

Was amazing.

On Saturday afternoon it was a charity polo match. On Saturday night it was the BAFTA Gala. You will note, while there are many, many, many photos available of the Cambridges, not once did they stop to “pose” like on a carpet. They will have their photographs taken during a Presentation. On a podium. With a group of new immigrants in a group shot, with a winning team after a match. They will NOT however stand on a carpet and allow you to shout at them to turn this way and that, arch their backs, blow kisses to the camera, suck in their stomachs, jut out their hips, cock their arms so as to eliminate the fat angles. This... is uncivilised.

What they will do then, when there is a carpet, is walk down the carpet. Which is what they would say it’s meant for. You can shoot them while they are walking. They do not stop. Stopping is undignified. Stopping is unbecoming of their station. He is the future King. She is the future Queen. They don’t need to stop and give it up and whore it out for YOU. You can do the work and get your pictures, go ahead, but don’t expect them to stand there and make it easier for you.

On the other hand...

Celebrity after celebrity, on the carpet is where they live. Oftentimes they won’t leave. I LOVE this juxtaposition. It’s the ultimate class distinction.

So by now you know, after two weeks on the road in North America, Will and Kate are back in England. They took a commercial British Airways flight home, booking out most of the executive cabin. It was a very, very successful trip. The Queen will be pleased. Will and Kate are now the face of the Modern Monarchy – young, compassionate, elegant, friendly, tactile, engaging, approachable, and yet still sophisticated.

Before leaving yesterday, they visited Inner-City Arts which serves disadvantaged youth in the poorest neighbourhoods. Will and Kate painted, or, rather, Will tried to paint, and they left their hand imprints, and they were sweet with the kids and really cute with each other.
Apparently he didn’t know what to do while they were seated at the easels and she asked him, “William, do you know what you're doing? Start from the center." Which... he clearly didn’t understand because later on he ended up saying to her, "Catherine, what are you supposed to do?" and then she threw her head back and laughed and repeated the instruction. He also teased her when her hand print ended up really faint. And then they touched hands and pressed down together. I also really love the pictures of him looking at her, and her trying not to laugh.

It was a full schedule before they departed though. In addition to hanging out with the children, Will and Kate also spent some time with wealthy patrons of Tusk Trust, funding conversation and community programmes in Africa, and Will spoke at Sony Studios for Service Nation: Mission Serve to honour the armed services.

I’m the perv who will look through all the photos to find the one of him with his arm around her. So I’m attaching one of those too. Because, well, it’s just not the sort of thing we’re usually allowed to see.

PS. I was really excited to think that Kate was drinking wine (in the photos with Reese Witherspoon). On closer inspection it might only be water. In this shot (scroll down) it looks like water.

PPS. I really, really hate some of her hair choices.

PPPS. Are you ready for the withdrawal? Because we don’t get to see them every day, several times a day anymore.


Photos from Wenn.com and Bauergriffinonline.com and Gettyimages.com