Wills and Kate and George and Charlotte Arrive in Germany

I have a theory about George here, and it is that he totally fell asleep on the plane between Poland and Germany. He has Cranky I Just Woke Up From a Nap Face in all of these pics, and I cannot imagine how off-putting it would be to wake up from a nap and immediately have to be on your best behavior. Meanwhile, Charlotte is like, "I am here and I am going to walk down these steps on my own. I don't need anyone's help to get where I am going!"

Wills and Kate and George and Charlotte Arrive in Germany!

There have been some (frankly absurd) comments from certain segments -- the segment that is generally highly critical of everything -- calling George a "reluctant royal," to which I say: HE IS THREE. Every three year old ALIVE is reluctant to do ANYTHING his parents want him to do. This is a fairly accomplished handshake from a toddler, frankly.

Wills and Kate and George and Charlotte Arrive in Germany!

I LOVE that Charlotte got the flowers here, and probably so does she.

Wills and Kate and George and Charlotte Arrive in Germany!

"DADDY I AM BORED. I AM SO BORED. I WAS TAKING A NAP AND IT WAS SO NICE AND IT'S HOT HERE AND I WANT TO GO INSIDE AND THE SUN HURTS MY EYES AND I AM BOOOOOOOORED."

Wills and Kate and George and Charlotte Arrive in Germany!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied by Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at Berlin Tegel airport during the visit to Poland and Germany Featuring: Prince George Where: Berlin, United Kingdom When: 19 Jul 2017 Credit: John Rainford/WENN.com

Aw, noodle. I want to squeeze him. He's very bravely solidering through this although he's clearly NOT FEELING IT.

Wills and Kate and George and Charlotte Arrive in Germany!

"HELLO SIR, IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU, I FIND A SALUTE HAS MORE ZING THAN A BORING OLD HANDSHAKE, DON'T YOU AGREE? ANYYYYYWAY WE NEED TO LEAVE NOW THANK YOU!"

WWills and Kate and George and Charlotte Arrive in Germany!

Charlotte, on the other hand, has wisely learned the efficacy of being cheerful and easy-going when one's sibling is on the verge of a tanty.

Wills and Kate and George and Charlotte Arrive in Germany

We've been so busy with the kids that I forgot about Kate. One of you noted on Monday that her current tan makes these particular suede shoes look like ice-skating boots which have had tights pulled over them and now that's ALL I CAN SEE. This Catherine Walker coat/dress/coatdress situation is...fine. The color, however, is lovely, and The Telegraph (in an excellent piece) points out that it is -- not accidentally, as Kate's wardrobe is meticulously planned on these trips -- in Prussian blue.

Angela and Wills and Kate

BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 19: German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge at the Chancellery during an official visit to Poland and Germany on July 19, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Bruce Adams-Pool/Getty Images)

I enjoy both how William's tie coordinates perfectly with Kate's dress, and how DELIGHTED they look to be hanging out with La Merkel. Everyone wants this photo to be taken so they can get inside and GOSSIP. (Angela has questions about when this Harry/Meghan show is going to get on the road. They may Facetime Michelle Obama to ask her how she thinks that romance is progressing.)

Wills and Kate Visit Berlin

BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 19: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge visit the association for street children and mental health by the Robert Enke Foundation during an official visit to Poland and Germany on July 19, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Dominique Ecken - DDP Images /Getty Images)

After a hot gossip sesh with Angela, Wills and Kate popped over a charity called Strassenkinder, which is devoted to the mental health of young people (so, right up their alley), and obviously everyone here looks terribly grumpy and obviously had a simply awful, awful time.

Wills and Kate Visit Berlin

Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge Catherine during visit in Berlin Germany at Brandenburger Tor Featuring: Prince William, The Dutchess Catherine, Michael Müller Where: Berlin, Germany When: 19 Jul 2017 Credit: Radoslaw Nawrocki/WENN.com **Not available for publication in Poland**

It was a very busy day in Berlin, because then everyone went over to the Brandenberg Gate for dramatic photo ops, and so we can see what Kate actually wears under her coats. I am shocked SHOCKED that it wasn't bike shorts with tiny cat faces printed all over them.

Wills and Kate at the Brandenburg Gate (That Rhymes!)

BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 19: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visit the Brandenburg Gate during an official visit to Poland and Germany on July 19, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

This is a dramatic and lovely photo and by the time they're 80, they will -- knock on wood --have HUNDREDS of photos of themselves standing next to each other and smiling in front of monuments.

Wills and Kate Visit Berlin

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tour the Holocaust Memorial during their visit to Berlin. Featuring: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton Where: Berlin, Germany When: 19 Jul 2017 Credit: John Rainford/WENN.com

Next up, Wills and Kate visited Berlin's Holocaust Memorial, which is extremely, profoundly somber. (That link goes to its Wikipedia page, which is very, very interesting; there has been a lot of controversy.) I believe, if I am reading everything correctly, that is is right by the Brandenburg Gate.

Wills and Kate Visit Berlin

I hope it is not disrespectful for me to note that this memorial -- like many memorials -- makes for very striking photographs. It is, I suppose, a work of art, and ergo it follows that it would be...photogenic seems like the wrong word. Visually compelling?

Wills and Kate Visit Germany!

BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 19: German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) and First Lady Elke Buedenbender (L) greet Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge as they arrive at Bellevue Castle on the first day of their visit to Germany on July 19, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. The royal couple are on a three-day trip to Germany that includes visits to Berlin, Hamburg and Heidelberg. (Photo by Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images)

And, finally, let's turn to Informative Caption: "German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and First Lady Elke Buedenbender greet [Wills and Kate] as they arrive at Bellevue Castle on the first day of their visit to Germany on July 19, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. The royal couple are on a three-day trip to Germany that includes visits to Berlin, Hamburg and Heidelberg." So many thoughts! (a) Bellvue Castle is the German version of the White House, with the difference that the German president doesn't actually live there, and its Wiki page is SO interesting if you like history and old buildings, and (b) Elke Buedenbender's Wikipedia is irritatingly devoid of dramatic gossip. (I mean, ideally one's First Lady's life is NOT peppered with dramatic gossip, but I live for something juicy in the Personal Life section.)

Wills and Kate Visit Germany!

BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 19: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (C-L), and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (C-R), sit down with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Fist Lady Elke Buedenbender in the gardens of Schloss Bellevue presidential palace on the first day of the royal visit to Germany on July 19, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. The royal couple are on a three-day trip to Germany that includes visits to Berlin, Hamburg and Heidelberg. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

These are the "gardens of Schloss Bellevue presidential palace" and this looks like a VERY NICE place to have lunch, especially while your cranky toddler is destroying his room in a tizz, as his sister calmly sits by a window and reads about the native insects of Berlin. There's a gala tonight and everyone needs to rest up!