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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Kate/Catherine, Princess of Wales, is one of the luckiest and most admirable women alive?!

445 replies

KohinoorDiamond · 07/10/2022 12:57

She’s a Princess and future Queen Consort. She’s the wife of a Prince and future King. Mother to Princes and a Princess. Mother to a future King and the British royal family’s future bloodline.

She’s very good looking, wealthy, has a good figure and wears lovely clothes. She has mastered the art of ‘do not complain, do not explain’. So, she comes across very well (such as how she handled this yesterday: Princess of Wales challenged during royal visit to Northern Ireland).

Unlike a diamond, I can’t find any flaws in Catherine, Princess of Wales; she comes across as too perfect to fault! She has it all and more.

There’s a lot to admire because she seems to be the luckiest woman alive. What does everyone else think?

OP posts:
antelopevalley · 07/10/2022 13:32

I agree that Michelle Obama is genuinely inspirational.

antelopevalley · 07/10/2022 13:31

JenniferBarkley · 07/10/2022 13:29

No one who knows the slightest bit about the internet and AIBU in particular would post something so obsequious to boost someone's reputation. We're being asked to tear her apart, tell OP what an idiot she is because, I don't know, waity Katie or something.

Show quote history

Well that did not work then as no one is tearing her apart.

SparklyLeprechaun · 07/10/2022 13:30

What's there to admire in luck? But I do envy her looks, she's only a few years younger than me and gorgeous.

Gardeninglady · 07/10/2022 13:30

She's lucky in that she was born beautiful, bought up in a well to do home, had access to a very good education and has 3 healthy children. I don't admire her.

JenniferBarkley · 07/10/2022 13:29

antelopevalley · 07/10/2022 13:24

My thoughts exactly

Show quote history

No one who knows the slightest bit about the internet and AIBU in particular would post something so obsequious to boost someone's reputation. We're being asked to tear her apart, tell OP what an idiot she is because, I don't know, waity Katie or something.

2bazookas · 07/10/2022 13:29

Like every "lucky" person I know, she's "lucky" because she works damn hard to make it so.

Original poster
KohinoorDiamond · 07/10/2022 13:28

Avidreader69 · 07/10/2022 13:24

I wouldn't say she was admirable - for me that would be Michelle Obama, but she is lucky to have good height, which helps enormously with clothes. She will be under pressure to stay slim though, so there will be few cakes and ice creams. She also has to appear good humoured all the time, which must be so hard. She's constantly photographed, every little thing she says is analysed and every bit of body language interpreted. I would hate to be under that amount of scrutiny all the time.

But it sounds like she wanted this. So, she knew what she signed up for and that’s why she handles it well.

Agreed that Michelle Obama is more inspirational that Kate/Catherine. There’s depth to Michelle Obama.

OP posts:
Hilarymantelspencilsharpener · 07/10/2022 13:27

Ha - cross posts!

Hilarymantelspencilsharpener · 07/10/2022 13:27

Tabbouleh, that Hilary Mantel essay was superb - worth reading
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v35/n04/hilary-mantel/royal-bodies

LuciaPopp · 07/10/2022 13:26

Tabbouleh · 07/10/2022 13:08

As the late, great Hilary Mantel aptly put it " she is a shop window mannequin whose only purpose is to breed". That is what I think of her.

You've completely misunderstood that essay. Mantel wasn't saying that was what she thought of Kate (for all that it's partly a quote from the first paragraph)- she was talking about the identities we foist onto her:

"In those days she was a shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own, entirely defined by what she wore. These days she is a mother-to-be, and draped in another set of threadbare attributions".

The essay is about the strange relationship between the public persona of royalty, the physical body of a royal person and the unknowable person inside. She wasn't criticising Kate but the press and by extension all of us for hanging these sorts of reductive "threadbare attributions" on her.

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v35/n04/hilary-mantel/royal-bodies

Xmasbaby11 · 07/10/2022 13:26

She looks great and seems to be well suited to the role, seems happily married and three lovely children. I hope she's very happy. No, I don't envy her. No freedom to make your own choices. It must be hard to even have one friend. In the public eye all the time and everyone commenting on her looks and behaviour. I imagine every aspect of her life is micro managed.

It wouldn't be for me, but I hope she is happy.

Sparklesocks · 07/10/2022 13:26

She plays her role well but I wouldn’t want to be her. I like my anonymity and freedom and she doesn’t have much of that, so I don’t see her as the luckiest woman alive in terms of what I value as important.

Remember you never really know what’s going on behind closed doors even if there’s a glossy exterior, that’s the same for everyone no matter what their job/position is. And there have been plenty of rumours suggesting her marriage isn’t always as lovely as it may appear.

Original poster
KohinoorDiamond · 07/10/2022 13:25

MrsSkylerWhite · 07/10/2022 13:02

Lucky, hell yes.

Admirable? For what?

Admirable is another word for envy. She’s worth envying, because she’s so lucky in love and life.

I admire how she holds herself together in the public eye. Yes, it comes across as annoyingly manufactured and fake. But you can’t fault it either. It’s admirable that she has mastered the art of being a Princess.

OP posts:
TheAntiTruss · 07/10/2022 13:25

She does the job very well, obviously is extremely thorough when it comes to maintaining her perfect manners and appearance but I wouldn’t ever want to be her, I’d be miserable in that role. I’d rather be Zara who looks happiers, more spontaneous, fun and relaxed.

Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 07/10/2022 13:24

Normal person in a unique situation. It is what it is.

antelopevalley · 07/10/2022 13:24

HermioneWeasley · 07/10/2022 13:18

Christ, can Kate’s PR team go one day please without filling the boards with threads on how marvellous she is.

My thoughts exactly

Avidreader69 · 07/10/2022 13:24

I wouldn't say she was admirable - for me that would be Michelle Obama, but she is lucky to have good height, which helps enormously with clothes. She will be under pressure to stay slim though, so there will be few cakes and ice creams. She also has to appear good humoured all the time, which must be so hard. She's constantly photographed, every little thing she says is analysed and every bit of body language interpreted. I would hate to be under that amount of scrutiny all the time.

PerfectlyPreservedQuagaarWarrior · 07/10/2022 13:23

JenniferBarkley · 07/10/2022 13:09

She's very good at her job.

Her job shouldn't exist.

I don't envy her for a second.

Suspect this thread was started by a Meghan stan who is hoping for a pile on telling her how terrible Kate is.

Apt summary, to which I'd also add that doing that job adeptly isn't anything admirable in itself.

Ihatemyroad · 07/10/2022 13:23

I think she’s incredibly regal, looks amazing in whatever she wears. I think William is very lucky to have her as his wife. I think she is a HUGE asset to the RF and the future of the RF.

But no I don’t think she’s incredibly lucky. I wouldn’t want her life, regardless of how wealthy and privileged it is.

I also don’t ‘admire’ her for being married to the future king, mother to the next generation of future king etc. I admire people who have careers that make a difference.

girlmom21 · 07/10/2022 13:22

PeekabooAtTheZoo · 07/10/2022 13:10

Did you really link a wikipedia page with anchor text to tell us what a princess is?

I'm glad you clicked the links because I expected them to be scams Grin

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 07/10/2022 13:22

I like her well enough and I think she's pretty good at fulfilling her role effectively.

However, I tend to save my admiration for people who have achieved something really meaningful in their lives, and marrying into a family of inherited privilege doesn't really tick that box for me.

LadyEloise1 · 07/10/2022 13:22

Grandeur · 07/10/2022 13:09

How did she handle the Ireland thing well? I think she came across as very passive aggressive actually with her big fake smile and head tilt. Cringe.

What else could she have done in the circumstances?
Had a debate with the woman ?

Georgeskitchen · 07/10/2022 13:21

Catonthedesk · 07/10/2022 12:59

I think she's lovely, wouldn't swap places with her for the world though. You'll get slaughtered in a minute by the anti Royal lot though

Yep, they're off!!! 🤣

robertpaulson · 07/10/2022 13:20

Precipice · 07/10/2022 13:00

Most admirable? A modern woman in the West who didn't even have a proper career?

I'd agree she was lucky if this were the 16th century, but in the modern age?

Why does having a 'proper career' have to be the ultimate achievement according to mumsnet.

Carlycat · 07/10/2022 13:20

She's a half starved baby machine. You need a better role model 🙄

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