Editor’s Inbox: Royally Confused Letter Writers

International coverage of the British royal family gets some people so riled up they don’t pay ample attention to where they are sending their complaints.

One person who wrote me was so mad, she admittedly didn’t care.

Those who pay attention know that People Newspapers is affiliated with D Magazine. The newspapers have no connection with People Magazine.

But thanks to the peculiarities of Google searches, typing “People Magazine letter to the editor” will bring up a link to my website first. Some web surfers must miss the links below it to the celebrity-covering outlet.

This has “allowed” me to collect a sampling of messages from offended letter writers with strong opinions about royal watching coverage.

Readers like:

• Sally Rubin, of Oakland, California. She wrote on Jan. 14: It would be so cool if People Magazine would show some class by taking the high road and leave the Sussex’s alone.
• Christine Fay, of Ellicott City, Maryland. She wrote on Jan. 10: Sorry, but very sick and tired of Meghan and Harry (“No holding back!, December 26, 2022). She is nothing but a publicity seeker/attention-getter, and he is a wimp! It is so easy to blame others for one’s problems or issues – why should they take the blame because they think they are perfect? So much for a private, quiet life in the United States – they bring negative attention to themselves every time they open their mouths – riding on the shirttails of the royal life. They do not deserve any title, and titles should be taken away. They both need to grow up and take responsibility. I am at the point now where I do not believe anything that they say!
• And the unapologetically angry Eileen Christe, of New Mill, England. She asked on Sept. 14: When are you going to stop calling the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton? You don’t call William Bill or Will, not even the Duchess of Wessex by any other name. About time to show a little respect to the now Princess of Wales. She hasn’t been Kate Middleton from the day she married Prince William. Catherine is such a lovely name and so much more appropriate than Kate!!

I pointed out to each of them (and others) that their messages hadn’t reached People Magazine.

Christe provided the most surprising and entertaining reply.

“I am not sorry I sent my complaint to the wrong address,” she said. “I think my message applies to all editors of newspapers and magazines who continue to call the Princess of Wales – Kate Middleton. Personally, I would take it as an insult. I certainly wouldn’t like to be called by my maiden name after I had been married for a number of years and have borne three children!”

I’ll keep that in mind, Christe, if your favorite royals drop by the Park Cities or Preston Hollow.

In the meantime, if you want to peruse stories with a royal connection from the People Newspapers’ archives, you might start with these:

• Equest 40th Anniversary Gala Draws Royal Cameo
• Royal Visit A ‘Crown’-ing Moment For Equest Team
• Party Hopping: Writing Royalty
• French Châteaus For Beginners
• Party Like It’s 1661

If you don’t like any of these stories, maybe be so kind (and ineffective) as to complain to someone else — someone like Wendy Naugle, editor-in-chief, People Magazine.