Social Climbing and Kates family

[GabbyLoggon]

Kate Middletons family must be top of the league in respect of Social Climbing...

Lets make it more personal than royal

My Family? A big one, there are just 2 of us who were bone fide Social Climbers.

How are your tribe doing?

I assume the first step towards moving into a different class is by getting your kids in private prep school

How about social descenders? well, the author who wrote 1984, went to Eton and down the mines.

[jonicomelately]

I think you'll find George Orwell only went down the mines as an observer Gabby.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

George Orwell went down the mines to look at the miners and write about them, not to work.

I suppose you could call me a social climber. I am as common as muck from a family like the Gallaghers on Shameless, however I sound like Joanna Lumley.

I think KM's parents sound like hard workers - all this shite about her mother being an ex air hostess etc, however she and her husband have a successful business which they have built up themselves. I have more respect for them than the royals who live off taxpayers via the civil list.

[OracleInaCoracle]

and orwell also wrote down and out in paris and london, knowing full well that he could go home at anytime.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Basically the royal family are a bunch of benefits scorungers.

[OracleInaCoracle]

what getorf said.

[jonicomelately]

Further to what I've already said Gabby, I'm not sure of the question you're asking.

Are you simply asking if there has been social mobility in your family (answer: yes), or do you want to know if people think this is a good thing (answer: yes again).

[TigerFeet]

agree with getorf

good luck to 'em I say

i wish I could come up with a business idea that would make millions

[InkyStamp]

I think being labelled a 'social climber' has a lot to do with intetions, is it? As in, hey WANT to be with the hoity toity, want to ame drop, eed to be seen with the right people etc to increase their perception of their worth.

Whereas on the other hand, people may have friends in high places but are as 'common as muck' ad totally down to earth and you would never guess.

So, are Kates family WANTING to be seen and all the above? Or, perhaps, Kate jsut made friends with people she liked who happened to know/be royal?

And dont even get me started on the class/private school shite! People from lower classes can and do get scholarships. Predominantly it is not do chang e classes per se, but about getting their child the best education they can so that their CHILD (NOT themselves) can do well.

The term 'social climber' is a judgemental one.

[InkyStamp]

Sorry, keyboard not working! Sorry for typos.

[InkyStamp]

Having just cross posted with everyone - unless you mean social mobility? As in people changing their circumstances and classes? THe term social climber has connotations, see, so now confused what you meant!

[TondelayoSchwarzkopf]

How snobbish IMO. Rather like Alan Clark who looked down on Michael Heseltine because his family 'bought all their own furniture.' I have a lot more respect for those who 'bought their own furniture.'

[Timeforanap]

It's soooo kind and sharey of private schools to offer scholarships to the absolute brightest children whose parents couldn't afford to pay, isn't it?

[GabbyLoggon]

I think Orwell rejected his toff background. Pity Cameron did not follow suit.

And Kate was at a university royals go to
(not by accident)

When GBS said "when the English open their mouths they show their status" There is, suprisingly, still a lot in that,

Most northern broadcasters posh up for career reasons. The Middlemiss lass stays geordie.

[InkyStamp]

Timeforanap - I wast meaning that. I just meant you cant say that only certain classes go to private schools. Generally, yes, but not ONLY! Ad there are quite a few in that class who dnt want to send their kids to private prep for whatever reason. I am not slamming either private schools or non private schools. just pointing out.

[TondelayoSchwarzkopf]

"Most northern broadcasters"

Ha ha ha. What you mean John Peel?

[InkyStamp]

Gabby - perhaps that was the best uni for her in terms of funding/travel time/friends/prestige in her field etc? I am sure she didnt sit down with her parents and have a conversation along the line of 'OK, which uni shall I go to so that I can get i with the Royals?'

FFS.

[jonicomelately]

To be fair to the OP Inkystamp, going to St. Andrews to do History of Art is a pretty posh thing to do. I can't remember it ever being suggested as a degree choice at my northern comprehenshive school.

[Timeforanap]

InkyStamp - erm, I think Kate is from Berks, so not particularly close to St Andrews. As you say, it seems ludicrous to think that she and/or had a game plan re "how to snaffle me a prince", but you're SURE they didn't make one? I am not so generous!

[Timeforanap]

I mean and/or her parents

[HecateQueenOfWitches]

what is funny, is how there is something 'wrong' with being a social climber.

Only the english!

Know your place. You're no better than you ought to be...

[AlpinePony]

inky I'm sure you're right, and her gap year in Chile a pure coincidence!

I'm a social faller, I've gone from a good family with aristocratic links to being a complete povvo and unmarried mum. I shall probably die penniless. As all poshos do!

[Nancy66]

The chances of Kate M knowing that Prince W was going to St Andrews at around the time she would have had to apply is pretty slim.

Was kept very quiet for security reasons.
And she arrived the same year as him didn't she?

[WreckoftheHesperus]

The degree of social snobbery from all sections of society about the Middleton family (jibes about trolley-dollies, toilet, pardon etc) is completely depressing.

How stuck in our dark Victorian past are we? They've fallen in love, and she's not fromm an upper class background. A few years ago, she'd have been deemed not to be good enough by the royal family, and she would have been dispatched unceremoniously.

If the ruddy royal family can move with the times and be happy with the match, then I don't see why the media / general populace need to have a problem and keep sniping.

It's healthy, get over it.

[Litchick]

I think the words social climbers, belong in the same catagory as nouveau riche and getting above yourself.

These are ways of trying to keep everyone in their little boxes.