Duchess of Cambridge set to resume Royal duties

[Lady Adams]

Not having a career in the art world doesn't mean she doesn't have an interest in it.  She did an A level in it, she studied it on her gap year, she majored in it, she's been seen at a number of art exhibits and related events, and two of her patronages are art related.  Again, you may think she's lazy, but I'd say she pretty clearly has an interest in art that has been consistently expressed.

Kate must be very knowledgable about art; too bad her interest does not extend so far as to know the Faberge Eggs were no longer being made in 2011. :lol:

[Lady Adams]

We will never know if she has an interest in Art or if she studied it because she had to study something useful when marrying a wealthy guy so she didn't have to work. Her interest is not profound, in any case.

She did study art history as one of her A levels along with chemistry and biology so I would believe that she does have a genuine interest in the subject. She's been spotted at contemporary art exhibits so if she chooses to attend them then I believe it is an ongoing interest for her. Apparently people have walked up and asked "Are you Kate?" and she'll acknowledge that it is her.

Nearly everyone has been spotted at major art exhibits, so if she chooses to attend REGULARLY, I will assume it may be an ongoing interest for her. As far as Uni, she has done nothing useful or art related since she graduated, there is nothing, besides the degree she has never ever used to indicate she has an interest in the arts.

@TLLK do you have any links about her non-engagement visits to art galleries? I'd be interested to hear more details. I just remember the gallery opening in Ireland in mid-2000s.

@Limabeany I'm often at art museums-- thought I didn't study history of art, I do enjoy visits!

[In All I Do]

Not having a career in the art world doesn't mean she doesn't have an interest in it.  She did an A level in it, she studied it on her gap year, she majored in it, she's been seen at a number of art exhibits and related events, and two of her patronages are art related.  Again, you may think she's lazy, but I'd say she pretty clearly has an interest in art that has been consistently expressed.

Kate must be very knowledgable about art; too bad her interest does not extend so far as to know the Faberge Eggs were no longer being made in 2011. :lol:

Having watched that video all the way through, it's my strong opinion that that's a mischaracterization of what actually happened in that exchange. I know it's been repeated so much that it's become "truth", but I see something quite different.

[Canuck]

Agreed, Adrienne.

[wannable]

There is no degree that guarantees you will work in a profession directly related. More than half the population of uni grads worldwide end up working in something else and unrelated.  Although Forbes does indicate retail workers with history of art in their statistics.

The context, The question of the Faberge egg. Kate is correct.

History came full circle in October 2007 when Fabergé, under new ownership and direction, announced the reunification of the Fabergé name with the Fabergé family. This opened a new chapter in the intriguing story of Fabergé, and set the stage for a total revitalisation of the Fabergé name and philosophy, in tune with its original values, aesthetics and spirit. Fabergé was re-launched on the 9th September, 2009, with three Les Fabuleuses de Fabergé High Jewellery Collections - Les Fleurs, Les Fables and Les Fauves de Fabergé.

Today, with Katharina Flohr as Creative and Managing Director, and her in-house creative team, Fabergé is forging a fresh yet strong identity. Paying homage to Peter Carl Fabergé's genius as a visionary artist-jeweller, and benefiting from the expertise and guidance of Tatiana and Sarah Fabergé, his great-grand-daughters, contemporary Fabergé collections are imbued with poetry, artistry and refined ideals of beauty made possible by unrivalled craftsmanship, innovation and ingenuity, all underlined with a strong emotional engagement. Distinguished by Fabergé's dedication to excellence and pursuit of perfection, the jewels are both linked to Fabergé's world, yet of the moment and relevant today, demonstrating the modernity that Peter Carl Fabergé was always able to bring to his own eclectic cultural and stylistic references.

They haven't closed, one can make an order. Of a new egg, rather than the historical eggs collection, about 69 recovered, 12 belong to the BRF.

ETA she's got plenty to discuss with the Royal collection people, being a HRH, DOC, future POW, future Quuen Consort. 

Trivia, there's a DM old story she and Chelsy had a private tour at BP, the guide said she is very knowledgable.

[PaulaB]

Not having a career in the art world doesn't mean she doesn't have an interest in it.  She did an A level in it, she studied it on her gap year, she majored in it, she's been seen at a number of art exhibits and related events, and two of her patronages are art related.  Again, you may think she's lazy, but I'd say she pretty clearly has an interest in art that has been consistently expressed.

Kate must be very knowledgable about art; too bad her interest does not extend so far as to know the Faberge Eggs were no longer being made in 2011. :lol:

So because you study art history you must know EVERYTHING about all art history?

[TLLK]

Not having a career in the art world doesn't mean she doesn't have an interest in it.  She did an A level in it, she studied it on her gap year, she majored in it, she's been seen at a number of art exhibits and related events, and two of her patronages are art related.  Again, you may think she's lazy, but I'd say she pretty clearly has an interest in art that has been consistently expressed.

:goodpost: I think you have said it all Canuck.
Double post auto-merged: October 06, 2014, 05:52:45 AM

Thank you wannable for posting the information about the eggs and the family that continues to create these unique pieces.

[Limabeany]

Not having a career in the art world doesn't mean she doesn't have an interest in it.  She did an A level in it, she studied it on her gap year, she majored in it, she's been seen at a number of art exhibits and related events, and two of her patronages are art related.  Again, you may think she's lazy, but I'd say she pretty clearly has an interest in art that has been consistently expressed.

Kate must be very knowledgable about art; too bad her interest does not extend so far as to know the Faberge Eggs were no longer being made in 2011. :lol:

So because you study art history you must know EVERYTHING about all art history?

She was going to a PUBLIC event EXHIBITING FABERGE EGGS with the QUEEN who is also her grandmother in law, the FACT that she didn't bother to prepare or study beforehand shows how shallow and lacking in desire to prepare Kate Middleton is. She doesn't need to know everything, but she does need to know about where she is visiting. She is a freaking working adult. And not a toddler, despite the toddler-like allowances her fans make for her.
Double post auto-merged: October 06, 2014, 04:05:32 PM

No one here has posted a history of KateMiddleton clearly and consistently expressing an interest in the arts every month every year or even with any regularity.

[tiaras]

Not having a career in the art world doesn't mean she doesn't have an interest in it.  She did an A level in it, she studied it on her gap year, she majored in it, she's  been seen at a number of art exhibits and related events, and two of her patronages are art related.  Again, you may think she's lazy, but I'd say she pretty clearly has an interest in art that has been consistently expressed.

Kate must be very knowledgable about art; too bad her interest does not extend so far as to know the Faberge Eggs were no longer being made in 2011. :lol:

So because you study art history you must know EVERYTHING about all art history?

She was going to a PUBLIC event EXHIBITING FABERGE EGGS with the QUEEN who is also her grandmother in law, the FACT that she didn't bother to prepare or study beforehand shows how shallow and lacking in desire to prepare Kate Middleton is. She doesn't need to know everything, but she does need to know about where she is visiting. She is a freaking working adult. And not a toddler, despite the toddler-like allowances her fans make for her.

same ole  :censored2: people will always believe she truly works hard lol this reminds me of the war horse premier and her childish behaviour ,her stupid comments at fortnum and mason ...the multiple upskirts ... <_< she's beyond help .

[In All I Do]

For anyone who's interested, here's why I think that the whole "Kate didn't know about Faberge eggs" thing is an unfair characterization. (Sorry I didn't post this last night, but it was my bed time.)

I've done a transcript (all transcription errors my own, and please feel free to point them out -- some audio was garbled, since my speakers are slowly begging to be replaced) based on the video at The Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge at the Buckingham Palace Wedding Exhibition - YouTube  Feel free to watch it yourself. Below, I've added some editorial notes, which are my interpretations only.

:50  K & HM stop in front of a display including a figurine of a man and a horse.

Kate: They're amazing. Are these kept in your <unintelligible>

HM: No, they're just shut in a cupboard. Well they all used to live at Sandringham, you see, but the house is empty now. We can't leave them <unintelligible>.

1:01 They move on to another case, containing more human figures, an elephant, a camel figure and possibly a bird, and a flower.

Kate: Are any of these <unintelligible> been given to you. (See editorial note one)

HM: No No. Good heavens no. Nobody can afford these things nowadays.

Kate: Is.. Are these still made?  (See editorial note two)

HM: No

Aide: Yes they are ma'am, yes they are.

HM: Well, copies.   <some back and forth between HM and aide>

1:25  They move on to the eggs

Kate: And these are the eggs. Because these.. when you say Faberge, these are what people always think of, the eggs.

Editorial note 1: She seems, from what I can make out and from the queen's answer, to be asking if these have been in the collection for a long time or whether people had recently given any of them to the queen.

Editorial note 2: In my opinion, Kate here is reacting with a certain amount of caution; the way I read the exchange when I first saw it was that she interpreted the queen's answer ("no one can afford them nowadays") as meaning that they were being made now, which was counter to her own knowledge, but she didn't feel comfortable directly contradicting the queen in the queen in the way that the aide clearly did a few seconds later.

Either way, the video clearly shows that a) she's familiar with the eggs and b) that they weren't talking about the eggs when the "no one can afford them" "Is.. Are they still being made" exchange took place.

[Limabeany]

It seems like she asked whether the eggs she was looking at were still made, a quick google search would have rendered that question moot and have allowed her to ask questions about the technique or the original eggs themselves. As I said, no preparation beyond what to wear went into this visit. These are not questions that denote knowledge of the history of the eggs past or present, there were many questions she should and could have asked instead of a basic one which denoted she knew nothing about them, even "are the eggs still produced to commemorate special occasions?' "are imperial eggs still produced?" or "does the House of Faberge still produce eggs?" still denoting she didn't bother to read on the subject as her original question but at least showing she knew something other than they were being exhibited. The Queen was right, the ones in the exhibition or "these" as Kate referred to them are no longer being produced.

[In All I Do]

She wasn't looking at eggs when the question was asked.

[Limabeany]

"These" implies the eggs she asked about were the ones there. At the exhibition. if she had read anything about THE eggs in the exhibition, she wouldn't have asked whether, they specifically were being made, or in general as she should have known "THESE" are not being produced but, others are and would have asked a question denoting some research had gone into it, basically any question related to technique, how they were painted would have been appropriate and certainly not as uninformed and shallow.

[cinrit]

Alternately, Kate could have read everything she could find about Fabregé eggs and either sounded off about them to the Queen like a know-it-all, or just kept mute and not encouraged discussion with the Queen.

Cindy

[In All I Do]

Well, to me, if someone is looking at a case of objects that are *not* eggs but are made by Faberge, and have not yet arrived at the case containing the eggs, and have been talking about the items in the case in front of them, to suppose that "these" means the eggs takes a bit of a leap. Especially since when they actually got the the case with the three Imperial eggs, Kate says "And these are the eggs. Because these.. when you say Faberge, these are what people always think of, the eggs."

But, of course, that's just my interpretation. Anyone who wants to is free to interpret "these" as "the things that we haven't gotten to and haven't been talking about" if they really want to, of course.

[tiaras]

Yeah like I said people will believe what they want . The queens tone with her is very interesting  :orchid: , her multiple gaffes is any indication .

[Limabeany]

The exhibition was of the Original House of Faberge Eggs and not a general exhibition, the fact that she hadn't reached the eggs is irrelevant she was at a specific exhibit, of artifacts from a specific era, the question is senseless and uninformed, better answered by Google than on public forum, "these" we're not still being made as the man is dead. She was daft and thoughtlessly unprepared.

[cinrit]

Yeah like I said people will believe what they want . The queens tone with her is very interesting  :orchid: , her multiple gaffes is any indication .

We all have our different takes on the discussion.  Personally, I don't detect anything "off" about the Queen's tone.  I doubt the Queen would be so rude as to take a "tone" with anyone, much less in front of a video camera.  So, I suppose we all hear what we want to hear, too.

Cindy

[TLLK]

The exhibition was of the original house of Faberge Eggs and not a general exhibition, the fact that she hadn't reached the eggs is irrelevant SHE WAS AT A SPECIFIC EXHIBIT, of artifacts from a specific era, the question is senseless and uninformed, better answered by Google than on aublic forum, "these" we're not still being made as the man is dead. She was daft and thoughtlessly unprepared.

However his descendents  have carried on the tradition of making them so they are still being produced by the original design house. I agree with Kate and the aide that they are still being made.  :thumbsup: Carl Faberge's designs had been documented over the years and his family would have access to the materials to create new ones.

[Canuck]

So Kate asks if something is still being made while looking at a case containing objects OTHER THAN the eggs, then after the question is asked and answer they move on to the next display and Kate says "and these are the eggs."  That seems like a pretty clear indication that until that point, they had not been discussing the eggs.   :shrug:

[sandy]

Alternately, Kate could have read everything she could find about Fabregé eggs and either sounded off about them to the Queen like a know-it-all, or just kept mute and not encouraged discussion with the Queen.

Cindy

Why would she be a know it all if she took an interest in preparing for a royal appearance.

[TLLK]

I'd say that she had prepared for the visit as she knew that Faberge eggs were still being produced by Carl's descendents. However I can see why she would be uncomfortable in contradicting HM. Perhaps Kate assumed that HM knew that new and original versions were being created?

[wannable]

When making a video production with the purpose of showing like discovery channel, in this case the Royal channel, usually you make dummy questions and answers for the viewer, the palace aide guide replied yes. That's his/her job.

The latest and most recent, when Princess Anne was being videoed during the picnic contest, she asked the dummy question to a picnic camper contestant who showcased a barbecue, "do you always make barbecue", he replied yes.

I think the point of contention from what I'm reading with this topic in the last few pages, is two; some think she's an idiot, the others think not.

[Limabeany]

I'd say that she had prepared for the visit as she knew that Faberge eggs were still being produced by Carl's descendents.

There is nothing to indicate this. How do you figure she knew anything?

[Limabeany]

So Kate asks if something is still being made while looking at a case containing objects OTHER THAN the eggs, then after the question is asked and answer they move on to the next display and Kate says "and these are the eggs."  That seems like a pretty clear indication that until that point, they had not been discussing the eggs.   :shrug:

It is a clear indication she had not researched Faberge from the era she was viewing and quite clear she can identify an egg by its shape.