Twenty-four hours (almost exactly) after Netflix released the first trailer for With Love, Meghan’s Season 2, Kensington Palace released the Princess of Wales’s “summer” video. To recap, Kate has pretty much refused to do much of anything in the past year. Most of her charitable patronages haven’t seen her in years, she’s bored of her Early Years busywork and she refuses to show up for World War II commemoration events. So Kensington Palace has decided to lean into “Kate likes being outdoors” and they’re trying to turn it into something. That something is four videos, one for each season. The “spring” video was widely mocked when it was released in May. Now, in the dead of August, just one day after the Duchess of Sussex’s WLM teaser got so much attention, Kate is celebrating “summer.”
This video, like the “Spring” video, was directed by Will Warr, who has done some of Kensington Palace’s in-house videos featuring Will and Kate. The difference with this one is that Warr didn’t use any footage of Will and Kate enjoying the summer. I guess Will Warr wasn’t invited on the Emirate-owned superyacht sailing in Greek waters last month. Kate is doing the voiceover, and reporters were briefed that Kate “is understood to have written the text she read in the voice over.” Do you believe that she wrote it? I do not. It reads like something AI spat out:
“Summer is a season for abundance. Just as the flowers bloom and the fruits ripen, we too are reminded of our own potential for growth. It is the time to ignite our inner fire and explore our own creativity, passions, and dreams. As we bask in the sunlit hours, friends and families come together; playing, connecting, being present. Embracing the joy to be found in even the most fleeting of moments and shared experiences…Our lives flourish when we cherish the bonds of love and friendship. So open your hearts; sing, dance, play. The days are still long, so simply love, and be loved.”
I’m actually starting to worry what Autumn and Winter will bring for these voiceovers. It’s easy enough to celebrate growth, warmth, long summer days, sunshine, swimming, etc. Imagine Kate trying to be cheery about the dead of winter, short days, the cost of living crisis, seniors freezing in their drafty, moldy Duchy rentals.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Kensington Palace, KP/Will Warr.
