Yeah, we’re still talking about how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge threw the Duke and Duchess of Sussex right under the bus this week. All the British papers made the photos of the Cambridges’ budget flight their front page, it looks like. Such a normal, middle-class family, William the doting dad herding Charlotte and George in front, with Kate holding Louis and Nanny Maria beside her. But where’s Carole Middleton? The eyewitnesses told the Daily Mail that Carole joined them on the budget flight? Maybe Carole was the one photographing this merry middle class family! And in case you need the point repeatedly underlined, just know that Kensington Palace must have sent out talking points to all of the royal reporters, because they’re all parroting the same fundamental lie: that the Cambridges are always looking for cost-cutting measures and they’re ALWAYS taking budget flights. Tom Sykes at the the Daily Beast even quoted a “source” about it:

After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took four private jets in less than two weeks, Kate Middleton and Prince William flew to Scotland on a budget airline on Thursday, in what was, whether they intended it or not, a crushing and highly symbolic rebuke to the other couple’s extravagance.

“William and Kate always fly budget whenever possible when they are flying on personal and private trips,” a source told The Daily Beast on Thursday. “The basic reason for that is very simple: It’s because they have to pay for their own flights if it’s a private trip and they don’t like wasting money.”

However, it’s not just an issue of flaunting wealth or saving cash. As the scathing reaction that has greeted Harry and Meghan’s multiple private airplane rides this summer shows, air travel has never been more politicized. Flying private opens you up to criticism, and if you happen to be simultaneously campaigning against climate change, all too accurate accusations of hypocrisy.

On the other hand, flying budget (especially into Aberdeen airport, where an agency snapper is parked on retainer for the summer capturing images of the royals coming and going to the Queen’s summer house, Balmoral, for their holidays) is great PR.

[From The Daily Beast]

First of all, the alleged “agency snapper” has only gotten photos of the Cambridges and MAYBE Prince Andrew… as Andrew jetted off on his private plane. Let’s not pretend that we have tons of photos of the royal family coming and going from this airport. We do not. These photos were a complete set-up, and without question they were set up by William and the Kensington Palace communication office. Notice that no one from the palace had any issue with the Cambridge kids being photographed candidly. That’s the tell. Second of all, “William and Kate always fly budget whenever possible when they are flying on personal and private trips.” Horsesh-t. They fly on private planes and private helicopters whenever possible. The Queen even BOUGHT them a new helicopter. And they’re so budget-conscious that they “borrow” the Duke of Westminster’s private plane for their holidays too. This revisionism to Embiggen the Cambridges is really something, huh.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and WENN.