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Kate and Pippa Middleton

493 replies

hellosally · 10/07/2022 07:42

I'm reading about Pippa's new £15 million home and another pregnancy. I am sure both sisters are lovely people but looking at their lives, it seems like neither ever had any intention of working and used school and university to get themselves mixing in affluent circles to bag a wealthy man to fund their lifestyles.
Do people like this still really exist? I know we all have choices but at times in my life when I have mixed in more affluent circles in university and London, men would spot gold diggers and women who would need to be financially supported a mile off and would not contemplate taking them seriously. I dont know any women who havent have some kind of career or any men that want someone who hasnt worked.
is there anyone bringing up their daughters(or sons) like this in this day and age? would you bankroll them if it all went wrong? just curious.

OP posts:
BellePeppa · 10/07/2022 12:09

hellosally · 10/07/2022 07:59

Of course I appreciate Kate is doing royal duties(extremely well) but this was not a career she carved out before marriage,I know they have helped the parents business etc. but if the business was not very successful and the family had not had much money and they had married low earning men, they would be struggling to pay the bills. my point was that I have never met any men that want a wife who hasnt worked.

To be fair Kate and William met at university and William has never really had a serious relationship other than Kate so I think she was likely marked as ‘the one’ early on. She then spent many years behind the scenes learning her ‘craft’ of being a suitable future wife to the future King. Had she never met W she probably would have had a career.

ReneBumsWombats · 10/07/2022 12:10

If Kate's job is so easy, why do so many other royals fail at it? Why couldn't Diana hack it? Why do so many people say they wouldn't do it? Why did Harry's first love choose to be single rather than endure a much lesser shade of it?

SunniestSunshine · 10/07/2022 12:14

@AnnaMagnani I am not in the habit of reading about Michael Middleton and where his money came from.

TBH although he had a trust fund from his mother, none of us know (I assume) of how much it was.

The daughters went to a fairly ordinary uni - not Oxbridge- (ok a good one, but both my DCs went to Russell Group unis and went to local comp schools to get there!)

I think Pippa's success at bagging a rich man is down partly to her connections and of course who wouldn't want to be connected to the RF through marriage.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

The royal family
Aprilx · 10/07/2022 12:15

AnnaMagnani · 10/07/2022 11:44

An enormous fuss was made about Diana being a commoner!

A commoner as in not a member of a royal family. Missing the point that she was an Earl's daughter.

We had the same thing about Kate being an ordinary middle class girl, as if she'd been to an average private day school on an assisted place. Her dad's inherited wealth was never mentioned.

There was no fuss about Diana being a commoner! Because she wasn’t, she was a member of the aristocracy and a Lady.

Nishky32 · 10/07/2022 12:16

BloodAndFire · 10/07/2022 10:48

No one ever described Lady Diana Spencer as a commoner. I think you're getting confused.

Show quote history

Yes they did. Repeatedly. In the 80’s when they were engaged that is how she was described

Spencerfig · 10/07/2022 12:16

I think Chelsea Davy is fabulous & went on to have a career as a lawyer.... She's also insanely wealthy, posh, private school educated, mixed in similar circles to the Middletons...

ChampagneLassie · 10/07/2022 12:18

imnotwhoyouthinkiam · 10/07/2022 08:03

Catherine sent a lovely letter to my friends parents after he died this year, they were at school together. So I love her just for that.

My mum seemed to think that when I was planning to go to uni (to study nursing) it was with the sole intention of meeting a nice Dr/student Dr. Hmm

Good how patronising of your mum

NC12345665 · 10/07/2022 12:19

Onborrowedtime · 10/07/2022 10:05

Why does no one ever mention Camilla in these snide threads I wonder? She has never had a job in her life! Neither has she got a degree. Somehow that’s not as galling to the critics. Why?
Margaret never worked a day in her life either.

I wonder why people criticise young and attractive women more? It's obviously absolutely NOT jealousy.

ShirleyPhallus · 10/07/2022 12:19

goldengirlsoncraic · 10/07/2022 12:03

Just had a nose at Pippa's husband,he really looks like a toff

You would know by looking at him he's very rich.
He just exudes it.

But his brother married Vogue Williams who used to be married to Brian from Westlife who was previously married to Kerry Katona….

Spencerfig · 10/07/2022 12:19

Chelsea Davy went to chelthnam college & then Stowe..

AnnaMagnani · 10/07/2022 12:20

@SunniestSunshine

St Andrews is not a fairly ordinary university. In UMC/aristo sets no-one cares about Russell Group.

There is Durham/Exeter/St Andrews/Bristol/Oxbridge. And even within that they congregate in particular halls and colleges.

greatblueheron · 10/07/2022 12:21

rocketfromthecrypt · 10/07/2022 08:03

I'd kill for Pippa's life. I don't think she does have a job or that she's on Mat leave. She's fabulously wealthy and has nothing to do but work out, go on holiday and waft around her giant houses. I couldn't be arsed with Kate's life, not because she works hard (she absolutely doesn't - she'd fall apart if she had to do a proper 40 hour week) but because she has no space for spontaneity.

Same. I'd love to be anonymously wealthy, just quietly enjoying life.

ChampagneLassie · 10/07/2022 12:21

Conversely having dated extensively including many successful men my sense is that as men are richer/more successful they do tend to want a wife who is focused on being a homemaker not having their own career or too many interests etc and if you're wealthy enough bank rolling your wife is just a given. Certainly Pippas husband doesn't need her to financially contribute, I'm sure her "job" is to keep nice house and be on his arm to entertain.

Spencerfig · 10/07/2022 12:21

ShirleyPhallus · 10/07/2022 12:19

But his brother married Vogue Williams who used to be married to Brian from Westlife who was previously married to Kerry Katona….

Show quote history

It's interesting there is never any pictures of Vogue & Pippa together.. Nor does Vogue ever mention her or James in all her magazines & TV articles... The kids are a similar age...
Vogue is not considered posh in Ireland, much more umc types

LivesinLondon2000 · 10/07/2022 12:22

@AnnaMagnani
i think it’s fair to say the source of the Middleton’s money is unclear.
Yes Mike Middleton was left a trust fund but it was a few generations back and has been subdivided many times since - e.g. he himself has 3 brothers with their own families. Various journalists have investigated and it’s far from clear this is the source of their wealth.
Equally Party Pieces would have taken quite a few years to be successful. Their accounts are closed so no-one can say for certain. But there was an article in the telegraph a few years back which looked at their nearest competitor - thought to have been a larger company - and they had an annual profit of circa 100K. Which is not bad but not enough to pay school fees, a large house, flat in Chelsea etc.
I was interested because I wondered how you could make millions selling small party items by mail order from your kitchen table - but of course you can’t!

dottiedodah · 10/07/2022 12:23

I think this is a little unfair on Kate and her Sister.The Royals work ,maybe not 9 to 5 but Kate never really "off duty" . Going forward her work load will likely increase too.How does it work that just by attending the same Uni as a future prince she will end up marrying him? As I recall ,the story goes that he saw her in a Fashion show there and she caught HIS eye! No idea about Pippa but she seems a pleasant young woman ,who had been on/off dating her husband for a while .Usually people meet someone with a similar background .

ClaudiusTheGod · 10/07/2022 12:27

Neighbours87 · 10/07/2022 08:43

No fan of the monarchy but I did see this week that Pippa completed a masters. Fair play to her she’s a rich husband and doesn’t have to do anything

Oh come on, the world and his dog do Masters degrees now. They aren’t worth the paper the scroll comes on.

NC12345665 · 10/07/2022 12:29

hellosally · 10/07/2022 10:30

seems its more of a class/type of profession issue then. if you are wealthy you will automatically mix in affluent society and be given financial support by your family whilst awaiting marriage. if you were poor and want this you end up on benefits and labelled a scrounger(either sex). bankers earn so much they dont need more income but most doctors/lawyers seem to marry within the profession for example.work commitments usually get reduced by either partner as time goes on to juggle everything but they started off working, lots of people dont enjoy their job,but if your relationship fails it can bring more than money to your life(speaking from experience here).self esteem, socialising etc.

Right, your life was shit but then you got a job that you enjoyed. That's good for you that you've found something fulfilling in life.

can bring more than money to your life(speaking from experience here).self esteem, socialising etc
I'm pretty sure Kate and Pippa socialise. Their lives probably revolve around socialising.

Why don't you respect other adult women can make their own choices about how they live their lives?

SunniestSunshine · 10/07/2022 12:30

AnnaMagnani · 10/07/2022 12:20

@SunniestSunshine

St Andrews is not a fairly ordinary university. In UMC/aristo sets no-one cares about Russell Group.

There is Durham/Exeter/St Andrews/Bristol/Oxbridge. And even within that they congregate in particular halls and colleges.

@AnnaMagnani I am very familiar with the league tables and demography of unis, having worked in education and written books in it, and also because my own DCs went to some of the short list of unis you listed just now. The posh kids at one were always nicknamed the 'Yahs' because that's how they spoke.

SnottyLottie · 10/07/2022 12:30

I’m quite impressed that Kate managed to get such a flexible job at Jigsaw that she could basically go off with William whenever she wanted. I suppose it shows that she didn’t need to worry about money as she always had a trust fund/bank of mum and dad to keep her comfortable.

I’ve read a few times that if things didn’t work out with William that she was thinking of becoming a professional photographer or opening an art gallery.

Didn’t Pippa work in events for a little while? And I seem to remember Kate saying she waitressed during uni? I’m honestly surprised they did any of these jobs if their long term goal was to get a rich husband.

StopStartStop · 10/07/2022 12:33

hellosally · 10/07/2022 07:59

Of course I appreciate Kate is doing royal duties(extremely well) but this was not a career she carved out before marriage,I know they have helped the parents business etc. but if the business was not very successful and the family had not had much money and they had married low earning men, they would be struggling to pay the bills. my point was that I have never met any men that want a wife who hasnt worked.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (hope that's right) has put her whole life into the role she now has. Marrying that man was her ambition and she achieved it. She's behaved in an exemplary fashion throughout. What she's doing is her life's work and she seems to be very good at it.

sausage767 · 10/07/2022 12:34

I can’t get over people really believing Kate’s parents threw her at William’s feet. I think Carole is generally the target of this rumour?

After the Diana debacle what parent would really choose this life for a cherished daughter? And they seem like good parents who love their children and want them to have happy lives. And happy families of their own. Marrying into the RF, this would seem far from assured.

I would imagine they seriously asked Kate ‘are you absolutely sure this is what you want?’

And to assert that Kate herself pursued William simply because he’s a prince. She is obviously a rather shy and private person, her struggles with public speaking and confidence etc have been documented. I don’t think their relationship was calculated at all.

Crestofawave2 · 10/07/2022 12:34

@LivesinLondon2000 I thought maybe it could be a lottery win. Either way, they set up and have run a successful business for many years so I have only admiration for that. Their lifestyles are very aspirational for many

AnnaMagnani · 10/07/2022 12:36

@LivesinLondon2000 that's very interesting. A few year's ago there were a lot of articles about Party Pieces being in financial trouble because, as you say, how many bits of party stuff can you buy?

Covid and now the cost of living crisis can't be helping - surely party bags and hats are just the sort of thing people will be cutting back on? But the Middletons appear to be very financially secure now.

Are we hinting that their real source of wealth is being subbed by the Royals?

Gwenhwyfar · 10/07/2022 12:38

"I dont know any women who havent have some kind of career"

Seriously? You need to get out more. Or did you just mean who don't work? Because many, many people work without having careers.