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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:
ittakes2 · 10/07/2022 08:49

You sound very bitter. I have never looked at them and thought of them in that way. Catherine clearly works very hard for the royal family so I am not sure what you are on about. If she wanted an easy ride she would have chosen a rich man who did need his wife to serve the British public.

TreePoser · 10/07/2022 08:49

We all know Kate will have ''stuff to do'' but it's a bit unfair to look at Pippa and say her education was a waste. She's the mother of two very young children with another on the way. This is a stage in her life where she could reasonably shelve career progression but she's doing (or completed) a masters.

I think some people just want to tear them down, like as if they would be out grafting relentlessly if they had the money the middletons have! Really

Education is its own reward. I'd just like to have a degree. As this thread shows, people want to cut you down by writing you off as a lazy bimbo so although a degree doesn't protect you from other people's bitterness and resentment I think it does remind you that you have achieved something valuable and you don't need to consider the resentful opinion of every randomer.

DogsAndGin · 10/07/2022 08:50

Penguinsaregreat · 10/07/2022 08:17

I see plenty of men who like a trophy wife. Plenty who would prefer to let wifey do the vast majority ( if not all ) of the childcare. Plenty who prefer their wife to be available to do the cooking/ cleaning/household chores.

Women can’t win. If you don’t work outside the home, you’re a gold digger. If you do work outside the home, you’re not looking after your family properly.

OP:
I’ve got a daughter on the way. So to answer your question, I will absolutely be teaching her to choose a partner very carefully - including considering their ability to contribute financially to the stability of the household. And I won’t be shaming her if she so happens to choose a lifestyle where she works less than her partner in order to care for the family.

The burden on women is too high, and loss of earnings and career progression hits women a lot harder than it hits men when babies come along. In most cases, women need financial support from their partners when they have babies, in order to survive, as mat pay wouldn’t even cover the average woman’s living expenses.

Plus, contrary to the far-flung problem you have described, which as you say, you’ve never actually seen in your real life, I have seen many couples where the woman works longer hours, earns more than the man, does 100% of the housework, AND has to cope with a feckless idiot of a husband who spends all of HER hard earned money on tat! Yet, you’ve not criticised these cock-lodging men.

I feel very sorry for us women, we do so much nowadays, working many more hours than men - when you add together the hours spent inside and outside the home. But the second we go through the massive life-changing event of birth and child-rearing, we have to defend ourselves against being called a gold-digger.

It’s especially sad that this misogyny is woman on woman, too.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Serendipity72 · 10/07/2022 08:50

Iwonder08 · 10/07/2022 08:00

I don't know anything about the other sister, but Kate's job is just to wear pretty dresses, wave and smile. There is no personal responsibility.

Agreed.

She doesn't work. At all!

TreePoser · 10/07/2022 08:51

ExitChasedByABee · 10/07/2022 08:47

@Ravenclawdropout I thought I misremembered, but Diana also wore the Spencer tiara on her wedding day.

I bet they were surprised to read in the papers that they were common! They probably believed (rightly) that they had every right to go to marlborough and st andrews.

parenthood1989 · 10/07/2022 08:52

Equally, I know a woman who met her husband at uni and the married as soon as they graduated. She has never had a job (their youngest DC is now 12) and she thrives on taking care of their home. He isn't a high earner either, they are propped up on legacy benefits.

ReneBumsWombats · 10/07/2022 08:52

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?

Evidently.

Kate' s life is largely what she was always raised and going to do: marry well, raise a family and do community work. They probably didn't expect her to marry Prince William but she was always going to marry a wealthy upper class man and do, in essence, what she's doing.

Classicblunder · 10/07/2022 08:54

MajorCarolDanvers · 10/07/2022 08:46

I don't know much about Pippa (although believe she also worked full time) but Kate had a full time paid job for a decade after university and now is a full time working royal. She's hardly a SAHM.

Nonsense. She has never had a full time job

ExitChasedByABee · 10/07/2022 08:56

parenthood1989 · 10/07/2022 08:14

Do people like this still really exist?

Well yes, you have just given Catherine as a perfect example. She was sent to St Andrews
University specifically to meet William.

would you bankroll them if it all went wrong?

If they didn't meet a rich person to marry? They could use their degree to get a job.

@parenthood1989 Was she really “sent” to that university? Do you know this as a fact? Or is that something you’ve read and taken as gospel? Or is it something you’ve heard? If so, then perhaps it would be check your sources.

Maybe you could try to consider that she might just have been smart enough, along with the extracurricular activities that she was doing, to go to the University of St Andrews?

ExitChasedByABee · 10/07/2022 08:56

it would be wise*

SleepSleepRaveAsleep · 10/07/2022 08:59

All this bollocks that Catherine works hard 🤣, looked like she was working really hard at Wimbledon this week. Going to events and having people bow, hold the door in exchange for you making pointless small talk is hardly a job or hard work. Jesus why are the royal family still a thing? Pippa I've no idea what she does for a job? Didn't someone write a book and she put her name on it? The entire family are social climbers, I don't understand the fawning over any of them.

hellosally · 10/07/2022 08:59

so many interesting responses! no I am not jealous to those who have said this kind of default response-I have loved working, it has given me stability when life has hit ups/downs, I know I have my own money to fund a nice lifestyle(just comfortable, not mega rich-think that would actually be quite stressful!) and also self esteem and worth, social and many other skills from dealing with people. I think it must be very stressful in a different way to know you somehow have to bag a rich husband. clearly family money makes you more of a "catch" yourself, I didnt come from this so made my own way.
things like Pippa doing a Masters, relies on financial security in the first place.
reading about all the current MPs and their lives, the vast majority male and female have equally successful partners whatever their backgrounds so doesnt seem to apply to them?

OP posts:
LadyKenya · 10/07/2022 09:00

MajorCarolDanvers · 10/07/2022 08:46

I don't know much about Pippa (although believe she also worked full time) but Kate had a full time paid job for a decade after university and now is a full time working royal. She's hardly a SAHM.

What job was this then?

parenthood1989 · 10/07/2022 09:00

I meant it was specifically chosen so she would be there at the same with as William. So while 'sent' may not be the right word, the situation was totally manipulated. I don't know why you are saying maybe she was smart enough, that's not what I was talking about. Of course she had to apply and be accepted like anyone else. She was offered a place at her first choice of Edinburgh and it was turned down, a gap year taken and then she went to St Andrews - all be due that's when they got wind of the fact William was going there the year after she was meant to start at Edinburgh.

TreePoser · 10/07/2022 09:00

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

That is thoughtful. I think Kate is a good person. She does watch herself fairly closely but deep down she's a good person so she's never going to be caught out doing something horribly selfish domineering rude or ruthless because it isn't who she is.

Lots of us are ''good'' people, I'm not attributing extra goodness to her. But I think William's lucky to have her and her only having worked for Jigsaw and her parents' own firm was of very little importance to him I'd say.

At their engagement interview (I watched a body language comparison of the various engagement interviews) at the time I thought Kate said nothing but she made it clear that she could bear criticism in the media of her if the people around her knew she worked hard. So she had that wisdom at 29.

parenthood1989 · 10/07/2022 09:01

Sorry meant to tag @ExitChasedByABee
In the above

JudgeRindersMinder · 10/07/2022 09:02

This thread is dripping with so much envy and bitterness.

sjxoxo · 10/07/2022 09:03

I definitely think there are girls being brought up a bit like this.. not quite as blantantly as you word it, so not exclusively to focus on bagging a successful man, more to have good career options yourself (if you need it) but to be aware of the advantages of a successful husband with a good family background and good education, the right schools etc. I know quite a few men who are happy to have wives not working. My DH doesn’t mind if I work or not. A very select few careers are difficult if both people are working & my DH was in one of these. I went to a very good uni in the UK and lots of girls I knew at uni had their own potential but also were looking for successful husband material. I know 2 close friends who moved universities to see if the talent there was any better 😂 they both married men they met there both of which were investment bankers. Even if you aren’t brought up being told in literal terms there’s definitely a demographic imo where this is a bit expected, agree it’s old fashioned x

theworldhas · 10/07/2022 09:03

@Palamon
I know 2 young women exactly like this.
Private school, both went to one of the best unis. All for networking. No intention or interest in a career as they will both marry well.
I think this was always the intention for Kate and Pippa, although Pippa has done better. She’s hugely wealthy without any of the bollocks that comes with marrying into the RF.

Lol. Saying it how it is. But I’m sure they’ll be plenty who say it was just an unexpected Disney whirlwind romance and she never had any intention whatsoever of seeking out and pursuing William on his course at St.Andrews.

ExitChasedByABee · 10/07/2022 09:04

@parenthood1989 Well you were the one said she was sent there! As though she it wasn’t her choice or as though she possibly couldn’t have gotten in etc. Now that you’ve elaborated, I can see what you point you were trying to make.

JenniferBarkley · 10/07/2022 09:05

I always think this criticism of Kate is unfair. I know she didn't seem to do much with her degree, but as someone who met her husband at 18 and never doubted we'd one day marry, I think she knew for a long time what her life was likely to look like. I think she was just right to minimise opportunities for press invasion from a young age.

Pippa I know next to nothing about, but have learned on this thread about her masters and have to say I'm very impressed that she's taken that on at this stage in her life with no financial need and small children.

I think most of us just can't comprehend growing up in those circles, with no need to work and build a career. It really is a different world.

sydenhamhiller · 10/07/2022 09:05

I went to St Andrew’s (pre Will
and Kate). I had no idea my NW English working class parents had sent me there to find a rich man to marry.

I thought I had carefully chosen it (read, seen front cover of students in red gowns by sea and fell in love).

Honestly, some of the mean spiritedness in this thread….

parenthood1989 · 10/07/2022 09:05

JudgeRindersMinder · 10/07/2022 09:02

This thread is dripping with so much envy and bitterness.

Not from me. Imagine a life where you can't just walk to the local shop for a mars bar when you fancy. I will take my carers allowance over the loss of freedom any day of the week. I couldn't live a life where I might be front page news for literally anything, just because a photographer made a lucky catch. I wouldn't t want to be the subject of many internet threads. I don't want the press picking apart my outfits. I don't want to worry when I take my children out (any more than normal I mean) nope, quiet one for me thanks.

parenthood1989 · 10/07/2022 09:06

ExitChasedByABee · 10/07/2022 09:04

@parenthood1989 Well you were the one said she was sent there! As though she it wasn’t her choice or as though she possibly couldn’t have gotten in etc. Now that you’ve elaborated, I can see what you point you were trying to make.

Sent/went

Whatever. It was deliberately chosen because William was going there was my point. Your pedantry is not really helpful here. You can see what I mean?

parenthood1989 · 10/07/2022 09:07

@ExitChasedByABee

Sorry, please forgive my wee rant, I didn't get past the first sentence when I posted. Now I see the rest of your post Blush