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Original poster

Hard working royals?

89 replies

Willsandkate · 31/12/2018 14:55

There are as an article today explaining the split of public engagements members of the Royal Family have done this year. Prince Charles made 507 engagements compared to Prince William’s 220 (while Meghan and Kate did just 183 between them, but Kate was pregnant and Meghan is new).

What do you think? Waste of taxpayers money? Or are they earning their keep?

OP posts:
ScreamingValenta · 31/12/2018 16:34

fewer of them and less money

Yes - if we must have them it should only be those directly in line to the throne and their spouses/dependent minors. So at present this would be the Queen, DofE, Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and George - and Charlotte and Louis until their 18th birthdays. That's more than enough.

MartaHallard · 31/12/2018 16:39

On the Prince Charles at 70 programme, William said Charles is at his desk until late most evenings, working on his various trusts and initiatives. He probably has official papers to read too.The public engagements are only a small part of their role, and arguably not the most important part.

TaMereAPoilDevantPrisu · 31/12/2018 16:56

Well he was hardly going to call his dad a slacker on national TV was he?

Interested in this thread?

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The royal family
Cookit · 31/12/2018 16:57

On the Prince Charles at 70 programme, William said Charles is at his desk until late most evenings, working on his various trusts and initiatives.
I would really, really like to see what he does.

I know the Queen for instance gets the big box most days with all government papers to read and approve and stamp. Which sounds like a huge job except that she’s not realistically ever going to veto anything is she? We don’t want the RF to interfere in politics. So is she just reading endless memos for the sake of it? Does she add anything to the process other than a tick at the end?

I’d be interested to know what it is that Charles actually does for his numerous charities. Is he actually helpful other than using his name as a draw for fundraising? Presumably he can’t be opining on financial planning or anything?

Madv · 31/12/2018 16:58

How do you go about abolishing the monarchy? Has it been done in recent history, constitutionally and without violence?

jenthelibrarian · 31/12/2018 17:01

The European country that attracts the highest number of tourists is France and look what they did to their royals.

I think tourists come here for the history, countryside, cities and so on, not to see royals. I've lived here all my life and once saw Princess Anne. Not that I go royal-spotting at all.

If we largely abolished them we'd actually have better access to the palaces and houses and all the stuff they 'own'.

billysboy · 31/12/2018 17:02

I think overall they are good value for money in terms of the revenue that they bring in
Princess Anne still hardworking favorite of mine

They still do a few twatty things and waste a bit of money but we are all guilty of that at times

PurpleDaisies · 31/12/2018 17:05

They still do a few twatty things and waste a bit of money but we are all guilty of that at times

No one else’s taxes are paying for me though.

Cookit · 31/12/2018 17:14

And if Charles DIDN’T stay up until midnight reading all his papers about all his charities would anything actually happen? Would anyone even notice?

Maybe I’m harsh, but I just can’t conceivably see what is necessary of most of what they seem to do.

knittedmouse · 31/12/2018 17:18

What I can't understand is how they're all privately educated at top public schools and university, yet none of them are professionally qualified or have proper jobs. I suppose William did the flying rescue thing, but that's about it. None of them are ever doctors, lawyers or chartered accountants. Don't they have any ambition or the drive to qualify as anything? Education wise, they are extremely poor value for money.

SusanWalker · 31/12/2018 17:22

There's nothing to stop them living off their own fortunes and working hard for charity. If everyone who worked hard for charity was state funded then there would be an uproar.

They have private properties to live in, and if they don't enough money to buy one. The state role could be taken away and they could just live like any other wealthy family does in this country. Perhaps George could get his wish to be a police officer after all. I would have no problem with them still calling themselves queen of king of whatever, or turning out for public appearances, just not at taxpayers expense. And with no political role.

WhatsUpHun · 31/12/2018 17:22

I’d rather the Royal family than Trump or Putin and their henchmen.

do we have to have anyone?
the shower of crap at the top of the country/world at the moment is a bloody nightmare!

SillySallySingsSongs · 31/12/2018 17:23

None of them are ever doctors, lawyers or chartered accountants. Don't they have any ambition or the drive to qualify as anything?

So they are tge only things that make you sucessful now then? Hmm

Harry has done 2 tours of Afghanistan. He also us head of and set up the Invictus Games. Charles initiated and runs the very sucessful Princes Trust.

Qualifying as something doesn't equal sucess.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 31/12/2018 17:25

Glorifed scroungers.

Theunsungsong · 31/12/2018 17:27

Charlie might like to have you think that he is spending late evenings reading briefings etc, but isn't he more likely he is playing Candy Crush, pissing around on Facebook and arguing on Reddit, just like the rest of us?

Notmyrealname85 · 31/12/2018 17:37

Harry has done 2 tours of Afghanistan. He also us head of and set up the Invictus Games. Charles initiated and runs the very sucessful Princes Trust

I can tell you from a person who was there, Harry did the sum of sweet FA in Afghanistan. He was there as a symbolic thing of “look, we chip in”, and if anything his presence put others in danger. How many of those army mates went to the wedding?

Even if they’re “nice” people, it’s not right to have the public pay for any family like this. And yes, interesting none have really wanted to do a job other than fart around. After queenie goes, think we should wind it down. If people still want to fawn over them, I’m sure the royals will still want to help with charity work in future years (maybe!).

No one else find it bizarre that in theory we have to bow to will and Harry and co? Somehow it’s all less believable when they’re your age

ScreamingValenta · 31/12/2018 17:37

Theunsungsong He's more likely to be listening to Radio 4, but the principle is the same Xmas Wink.

ElspethFlashman · 31/12/2018 17:42

I see him more playing Bookworm than Candy Crush, tbh.

I flipping love a bit of Bookworm.

WitchesWeb · 31/12/2018 17:45

How many of those army mates went to the wedding?

A few did actually and a significant number of injured veterans did too.

Abra1de · 31/12/2018 17:52

The Duke is Gloucester is apparently one of the hardest workers in terms of engagements.

Abra1de · 31/12/2018 17:53

Duke of Gloucester.

Abra1de · 31/12/2018 17:53

You don’t have to bow to anyone. Cheri Blair didn’t.

SusanWalker · 31/12/2018 18:00

To be fair a lot of people have done tours of Afghanistan. We really need to stop being amazed that a person manages to achieve something completely normal, just because that person was born into one family and not another.

It's like the amazement that Kate can parent three children and go to the gym, when she has staff and a nanny. Or that she does the school run. Or does an engagement. Just like millions of women up and down the country. Except she hasn't got to worry about getting back to pick up her kids in time or wonder what she can manage for dinner.

SillySallySingsSongs · 31/12/2018 18:02

To be fair a lot of people have done tours of Afghanistan.

Yes including members of my family.

It is more the fact that a pp believed you are only sucessful or achieved something in life if you are a lawyer or dr Hmm

Luglio · 31/12/2018 18:04

It's all bullshit. They could do precisely fuck all (like princess Margaret) and they'd still be royals. Because that's what royalty is: it's not conditional. The 'hard working ' trope is just to make the vast expenditure more palatable for the mob. Look carefully at their faces. They know we know. They know that royalty is a shared delusion, nothing more.

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