Bit harsh from Hilary Mantel?

Sorry forgot to link.
www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2013/feb/20/hilary-mantel-london-review-of-books

I read the article and can only perceive it as 'pro-Kate'. Her thought- provoking analysis of the subject truly understands and addresses the way the media manipulates issues relating to the Royal Family. I loved her insights relating to the Queen and Prince Charles. Its all too easy to take soundbites out of context. If she did it for publicity - I hope she got plenty!

soop better join you! I'm told I don't understand!!!!

mamie, I do think it's relevant where the original article appeared and the fabricated furore over it once the daft meeja got hold of a few snippets out of context reminds me of the similarly fabricated furore over Suzanne Moore's "Brazilian transexuals" article not so long ago. #bashanotheroutspokenfemalewriter

Who's next, I wonder?

Some people are so opinionated!!

Yes, Bags, but the LRB chose to highlight one of the comments about Kate, with some remarks about Marie Antoinette and Princess Diana, on its front cover: hardly surprising that it was taken out of context.

Totally exhausted having read all (well, most) threads re. Mantel's "attack" on Kate. Has Kate got a grandmother? If so, said Granny should join Gransnet immediately and defend her beloved grand-daughter. That's what I'd do anyway. And I think that's what is making so many of us howl with outrage. Kate could easily belong to one of us!

How many people look at the front cover of the LRB grumpa? How many of the 57,000 who do read would take it out of context? Delighted to find another LRB reader though!

It was a very unkind speech, which possibly hurt a very lovely girl very much. There was just no need for it. Why be so horrible?

It was a thoroughly unkind speech about a lovely girl, who must have been hurt by it. Not the kindest thing to do to someone expecting her first baby, did Hilary Mantel really think it through? I suspect she did - and went ahead with it. Horrible.

I'm with the 'don't understand mob'

I'm sure you would understand if you read Mantel's speech, galen. The link is up thread somewhere.

I've read the speech. I don't understand the arty bit! I'm pure science with a bit of black magic thrown in!

Are we talking about the same speech, galen? I find it hard to believe that you can't understand all of this.

Not the speech[crossly] the 'boldly artistic etc' comments!

Wurze of course it was. Some people just cannot or will not see that, so they try to patronise us by saying we don't understand. Poor dears.

The woman is bonkers. Early in the article she tears into Kate. She is really cruel. And then at the end of the article she tells us to back off and not be cruel.

And other things she says sounds rubbish. People shuffling away from the queen trying to avoid talking to her?! Then why do people get early to events where royalty is visiting, so they can be at the front and perhaps speak to them and get their hands shaken.

And did she really hide behind a Buck House sofa at a reception?. [weird]

I feel sorry for the people who had to sit through that rambling rubbish.

Agreed eglantine!

Eglantine??

A wild rose!

The speech wasn't about Kate. It was a rather dry academic lecture about 'Royal Bodies' and she - misguidedly in my opinion used Kate as an example, speaking of her as if she had been chosen as a suitable royal bride. This was true of royal brides up to and including Diana but, if what I have read is true, Kate had originally intended to make Exeter her first choice of university but, like a number of other young women, she (or was it her mother?) got quite excited at the thought of Prince William at St Andrews. Maybe she chose him. Be that as it may, her description of Kate was crude and inaccurate. She may have been describing that ghastly portrait, but, as most of us agreed, that is not the living, breathing Kate we have seen on her public outings.

Sanity at last! Thanks, anno.

That's not meant to decry the other sane comments, but I expect it will be taken as doing so. <watches with interest while such hapoens>