Happy to see Princess Kate doing so well, but...

[JustPassingThyme]

I'm really glad to see Kate doing so well, and I am glad she has finished chemo looking so healthy and happy. However my sister and I cannot stop laughing at the video Kensington Palace have just released.

We think the video has a striking resemblance to the Twilight films, only warm toned and shorter.

Narration - check
Holding hands while lying down in a meadow - check
Tree climbing - check
Stacks of logs - check
Dramatic sweeping shots of trees - check

I was waiting for William to say something really cringy while giving Kate a piggy back ride.

I agree that I personally wouldn’t like it for my children, but I guess it is all very hard-wired.

I can still respect the effort and application to a cause even if I might not manage it myself - just as I would never have been up for skipping up that log pile in the video. Unless they were glued in place, I’d have been mounting it on all fours like a geriatric sheep and the video would have had a different vibe entirely. In fact in terms of a recovery message it might have completely backfired …

"Abdication won't effect his children he cannot abdicate for them"

Of course it would! As it stands, for example, George has 30 years at least before he takes the throne. If William abdicates,he's King, but with a regent, immediately.

Incidentally. People are saying William can't abdicate for his children. What if he did? What if he just said "Nope. Not doing this any more."

It’s moot. He’s not going to. It’s like asking what if he sprouted wings and circumnavigated the world. A pointless question.

the only way William isn’t ascending the throne is if something happens to him personally ie illnes, death, impairment.

@Wineandcupcakes "It’s moot. He’s not going to. It’s like asking what if he sprouted wings and circumnavigated the world. A pointless question. "

Sorry. I forgot how many Mumsnetters have access to the RF's innermost thoughts.....

@Wineandcupcakes

Do you really have no interest in hypothetical questions?

He might well feel a sense of duty. QE2 believed God had divined it! But there is almost certainly also a sense of entitlement, and I can’t see William and family giving that up.

Down with the lot of them. It’s such a silly concept, Monarchy.

You've awoken the Harry and Meg haters to the thread 😅

A 'King Harry' would be much better suited to what is modern royal life and modern Britain. I think most would agree on that. He's just a naturally better and warmer communicator and more personable than any of the other senior royals. William can't really help that, but it is the reality. William could of course readdress this imbalance by being a conscientious and hard working public servant though. Ha.

We all just skirting round William's affair(s) too? Probably not the time. It's why I won't gun for Kate directly. She's put up with a lot. The PR film that also doubles up as a "look how strong our marriage is because I'm patting her head" message was interesting to me though.

I couldn’t agree more CurlewKate.

Some people on this thread or another have said that to criticise this video or their PR strategy, is to “dehumanise” those being filmed.

But I strongly feel that the most “dehumanising” element of all of this is this family’s role within the RF. Particularly the dc.

I think that in the late Queen’s era, it was possible to balance the press intrusion and public scrutiny with a degree of privacy, and the privilege derived from vast estates etc. And the country’s collective sense of duty, especially during the Second World War, was different then too. The late Queen was dutiful and so were the majority of her subjects. And there was a degree of genuine deference. .

But by the time Diana came on the scene and yet again when William and Harry became adults, the level of press intrusion got out of hand. The press became one huge insatiable money-making machine or juggernaut.

In this day and age, with every member of the public, including servants, carrying cameras in their phones, I just don’t think any semblance of normality is possible, however hard they try. And the children shouldn’t be made to endure it.

Just my personal opinion, but we, the public, should not be asking this of them. It’s evident that William and Harry have been hugely damaged by it. Enough is enough. Why put the next generation through it?

Oh they absolutely love it in my opinion - William comes across as incredibly spoilt and entitled!

There is no possibility of that revolting Montecito man-child becoming king. Harry is thoroughly disliked. He is a lazy petulant little swine who is obsessed with his own non existent victimhood. Can you evidence your nasty suggestion that William has had an affair or your vile insinuation about the state of his marriage.

Do you know Harry or William in a personal capacity?

They'd keep going down the list to someone takes it.
No doubt Harry would be back in the UK faster than concorde.
Failing that Andy would have no shame!

Randy Andy? Would be interesting to see if pr could mollify the masses.

@TeaMistress "There is no possibility of that revolting Montecito man-child becoming king."

What would stop him? If he was next on line when William took his family off to live a happy secluded life in Norfolk?

William cannot remove his kids from the line of succession. That is their birth right.

If he tried it would no doubt cause a revolution and collapse of the monarchy.
He knows what happened to his Grandfather's family when the Monarchy collapsed in Greece.
William is not stupid he's not going to risk the same thing happening in the UK.

A 'King Harry' would be much better suited to what is modern royal life and modern Britain. I think most would agree on that. He's just a naturally better and warmer communicator and more personable than any of the other senior royals.

no, he's creepy

Agreed.
I certainly wouldn't want to see him or Meg near the throne. Any more than I'd want to see Randy Andy at it.

I like Harry and think he’s a much more likeable character than his brother. But as if he’d ever be king! He’d not want to for starters.

He’s happy and wise to be out of that awful royal family. I’m sure he’s having a wonderful life now.

I agree. There is absolutely no way they would give it up to live a quiet life in Norfolk. They know full well that their rich aristo friends eventually have to sell their land to the National Trust, pay Inheritance tax, pay to get their roof fixed and don't automatically engender deference and tickets to anything they possibly wsnt. They can aldo moan about ' privacy' but they have shedl9ads of privacy. They are on holiday for months of the year uear where they do one ohotoshoot going to church and are then left alone. There is no way in the world William will be giving all that up.

It might cause a few kerfuffles in the press and social media. Then it would all blow over. We wouldn't have a revolution. Most people aren't that bothered who is monarch or if we have one at all.

The climbing on logs made me cringe - it’s just so dangerous and not normally allowed. They shouldn’t have been jumping on straw bales either. A farm isn’t a playground, even for royalty.
However I’m glad she’s got through the chemo and wish her well.

The question is if the monarchy fell, who would replace them as Head of State?

Who would sign all acts of parliament?
Who would be the person to meet and greet other HoS.

Would they be a political figure?
I know most countries seem to have a Head of State and a Head of Parliament.

How do they do it? I don't know but sometimes it's better the system you know.

Do people genuinely think there'd be a Revolution? Blimey. What form would it take? And surely William has enough personal wealth to live an extremely comfortable life as a private citizen?