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Why do you think the Royal Family 'do it'? Is it just duty?

66 replies

cakeorwine · 13/09/2022 23:47

I know that the Queen performed her role because of a strong sense of duty.

But you have 1 life. And their lives are dictated from birth.
Charles knew what would happen.
William can see it.
It's George at some point.

A life mapped out for them from birth. To be the Head of a Constitutional Monarchy.

Why do you think they do it and also lead their family into it?

OP posts:
Hothammock · 13/09/2022 23:52

Well they can choose not to if they really don't want to. They get a hell of a lot of privilege for their 'duty' so perhaps they see it as a 'job'. There are plenty people who do far more work for far less reward. If they have any intelligence they will realise they have a lot more privilege than burden on balance.

minipie · 14/09/2022 00:01

If any of the heirs chose to abdicate it would undermine (further) the whole institution of monarchy IMO. We would start saying well why do we have to have them if they can pick and choose. The whole principle of the monarchy is that we don’t get to choose and nor do they. Edward’s abdication was seen as a massive betrayal.

So I suspect even those who might have their doubts personally, would feel too guilty about the impact on The Firm to do it.

Plus most people accept things that have been drummed into them since birth. See: religion.

User1563 · 14/09/2022 00:20

I feel sorry for the kids . Someone on instagram sharing video of shaking hands with George and Charlotte while pointing a phone at them recording. They looked so unsure and lost. It was so awkward

I don’t know why they are being made to meet the public. Let the kids be. The adults can do what they want.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

pawkins · 14/09/2022 00:33

User1563 · 14/09/2022 00:20

I feel sorry for the kids . Someone on instagram sharing video of shaking hands with George and Charlotte while pointing a phone at them recording. They looked so unsure and lost. It was so awkward

I don’t know why they are being made to meet the public. Let the kids be. The adults can do what they want.

I agree though I suspect it is seen as ‘training them early’ for the future ahead of them. W&K say they want a relatively normal upbringing for them, no live in staff etc but there is already talk of them moving into Windsor Castle due to not having the castle vacant. It was vacant for long periods while the Queen stayed in other residences though. It will be interesting to see how quickly W&K will move house after their recent talk of having a small house. I expect they moved to Alelaide ‘Cottage’ knowing it would be temporary but near the kids new school.

carefullycourageous · 14/09/2022 00:38

They are born into it,socialised into it and are hugely wealthy as a result of it. There whole meaning structure is built around it.

carefullycourageous · 14/09/2022 00:38

*Their

carefullycourageous · 14/09/2022 00:40

User1563 · 14/09/2022 00:20

I feel sorry for the kids . Someone on instagram sharing video of shaking hands with George and Charlotte while pointing a phone at them recording. They looked so unsure and lost. It was so awkward

I don’t know why they are being made to meet the public. Let the kids be. The adults can do what they want.

They have to learn the family trade, it is what they do. If they were brought up normally how would they learn everything in time for adulthood? They have to be ready to play the game.

scissorsandsellotape · 14/09/2022 00:42

User1563 · 14/09/2022 00:20

I feel sorry for the kids . Someone on instagram sharing video of shaking hands with George and Charlotte while pointing a phone at them recording. They looked so unsure and lost. It was so awkward

I don’t know why they are being made to meet the public. Let the kids be. The adults can do what they want.

When was this? Those children need to be kept away from this madness

User1563 · 14/09/2022 00:43

@carefullycourageous they are so young though. the video made me feel sad for them. They looked really uncomfortable.

PeekabooAtTheZoo · 14/09/2022 00:43

Why does anyone turn up for work given that you only have one life? I don’t think most people are thrilled to be doing their jobs but we’re conditioned from a young age to do things a certain way and the RF’s conditioning will have been to prepare them for their role just like we are mostly prepared to become good worker bees.

It’s all bollocks when you really look very hard at it.

User1563 · 14/09/2022 00:48

Sorry my bad this is an older clip. I thought this was now 😬

pawkins · 14/09/2022 01:01

I don’t think she looked uncomfortable to be fair. She’d have rehearsed this with her nanny numerous times beforehand and watched video clips of her family doing this. She’s also used to crowds as people watch them wherever they go whether that’s their local department store or church. On the upside they get go holiday on private islands. go on numerous holidays throughout the year, go to the best schools, get the best healthcare available and have immeasurable wealth. Most of them think it’s a good trade off.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 14/09/2022 01:15

I always think the same when you see the attitude that most billionaires have. The one enormous advantage they have over most ordinary folk is that they can have (virtually) whatever they want in life and never, ever have to worry about money.... except that, for the most part, their every thought is consumed with how they will make their next billion. If you're still going to stress about money (albeit from a far more privileged position than a single mum who doesn't know how she can feed her kids), what's the actual point in having so much of it at all?

There's definitely an element of it being drummed into them from a very young age, so they know no different. You can even tell the clear differences in how the 'heirs' are brought up compared with the 'spares'. Many people have asked what would have happened if Andrew had been born first, but the point is moot, as he would never have been allowed the freedom to 'stray' in the first place (although Charles had quite a long close association with a certain former DJ and TOTP presenter). They're told that they will be king/queen one day, and it's never allowed to cross their mind that it may not be compulsory. Even just having to listen to that song multiple times a day would drive a 'normal' person off their nut!

It is a huge gilded cage. I reckon that they probably see all the responsibility and lack of freedom and genuinely believe that they've drawn the shortest straw in life. Maybe they have, to some extent. I love the fact that I can go about doing simple, mundane, often boring things when it suits me and not a soul could care less, as I am a nobody. Similarly, I can go through life making silly mistakes and errors of judgment and nobody is filming or reporting on it, as I hold no interest to anybody other than my family and friends. Yes, it's a life of 'service' but in no way comparable to the servitude that many normal people have to perform.

I think the PP summed it up very well in that we have no choice but to have them as our monarch, whilst they have no choice but to be the monarch. It would make much more sense, if we are going to keep the system, to have a ruling royal family, all sharing the duties and recognition equally, rather than it all falling to one of them and the rest getting much of the privilege with little responsibility; but monarchy doesn't work like that at all, and it would collapse again after one generation.

It's so bizarre to think that, whilst people who end up in menial NMW jobs still have to go to interviews and prove their ability to fulfil a relatively simple role, somewhere else, a baby is born and instantly promised the very top job will be guaranteed theirs at some stage, and all they have to do to get it is to stay alive long enough!

worriedatthistime · 14/09/2022 01:37

Because its built info them from a young age and they are being prepared for it before they even realise
Its all they ever know almost

MarshaMelrose · 14/09/2022 01:39

Prince Charles has dedicated his life to all sorts of causes and has done so much for young people in many different countries. The tributes heads of states have paid to him has been eye-opening to me. I never realised he used his position to such great affect. I think its more than a job, its like trying to make the most of opportunities offered.
When they were younger Harry said that he and William didn't want to live their lives like the Queen and Prince Charles did and they would do things differently. It was too all encompassing. But I wonder if William has changed his mind on that now that he has been working alongside his father and grandmother. Maybe he too sees his future as one of duty. We really don't know what William thinks at this time. Maybe William doesn't know either.

Blueberrywitch · 14/09/2022 05:56

Because of immense status, power and wealth obviously. Duty is a drummed up lie to make people feel like it’s a noble cause rather than a relic of history when a few people had absolute power over the great unwashed illiterate masses.

Squeezedsquash · 14/09/2022 06:04

If you believe in the monarchy (as they must, surely) then surely you must believe that God has chosen you to be there. Atheism sits very uncomfortably with the concept of the monarchy (as we’ll see when the “magic bit” in the middle of the coronation takes place). Therefore to ignore the calling of God is… tricky. Quite how the multi-religion, largely agnostic British public reconciles this I don’t know…

for the queen, she grew up with people in living memory of royal families going disastrously wrong, murdered in Russia, exiled (as Prince Phillip was as a baby), stateless… performing the “act” is a measure of self preservation.

WoodlandMummy · 14/09/2022 06:06

They do it for the incredible privilege that the role brings 🤷🏻‍♀️

WoodlandMummy · 14/09/2022 06:07

Blueberrywitch · 14/09/2022 05:56

Because of immense status, power and wealth obviously. Duty is a drummed up lie to make people feel like it’s a noble cause rather than a relic of history when a few people had absolute power over the great unwashed illiterate masses.

👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼

I find it v hard to ustand those who believe all the ‘duty’ bollocks. Give over.

HikingBoots · 14/09/2022 06:21

Well why do people do all sorts of things - Have an arranged marriage, despite having a more modern outlook? Get their child christened even though they aren't religious? Become a doctor, even though they don't want to, because their dad and grandad was a doctor too?
Because of social and parental pressure. Times that by a million and you've got the sort of pressure the royals are under.

HouseOfGuineas · 14/09/2022 06:36

Because there’s enormous pressure that the job is bigger than you, you are just one person in a long line of history. If you mess it up you’d break a 1000 year organisation on your watch. No one wants that legacy do they even if they don’t especially want the job.

Was far easier for everyone pre-Queen.

itsnotdeep · 14/09/2022 06:41

The huge amount of wealth? The huge amount of privilege? The fact it's a relatively easy life. All the perks that go with it?

I don't buy the duty crap either.

clpsmum · 14/09/2022 06:44

Living a life of luxury, travelling the world, money no object are just a few reasons that spring to mind

DeclansAFeckingDream · 14/09/2022 06:51

It's drummed into them from birth I suppose. No doubt that they have immense privileges but I wouldn't trade places for any amount of cash. I don't want to be duty bound to spend time with people/events that I have no interest in and talking to thousands of people who would bore me to tears at any age, never mind well into my 90s. No thanks.