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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not really understand why some people think the Royal Wedding makes our lives better

159 replies

electra · 29/04/2011 22:52

'in these difficult times'

I will admit that I watched the wedding, seeing as it does not happen very often and found it vaguely interesting.

But why is it that I hear people saying this wedding is a great comfort in these difficult times and some acting completely hysterical in the face of it???

I really do not get how when nobody has any money (relatively) they all feel better by putting a bunch of people on pedestals who they don't know.

Ok, they're getting married. I hope they'll be happy.....but that's it. I don't know them and I don't get that their wedding will make me happier.

Royalists, I'm genuinely interested to hear what point I've missed.

OP posts:
breathing · 30/04/2011 10:27

I would be more proud of my child is she became a doctor and worked i third world countries than being well kown for having a nice arse.

Bonsoir · 30/04/2011 10:27

Why isn't being the consort to the heir-to-the-throne in waiting a profession? It is. A pretty unusual one, but that doesn't make it less of a career choice.

breathing · 30/04/2011 10:28

If she hadnt met him, what would her contribution be?

Bonsoir · 30/04/2011 10:29

breathing - it's not either/or. What matters is that adults grow up and do something productive. I would hate to have a child who worked in a business that produced products I abhor (and gosh are there lots of them).

Bonsoir · 30/04/2011 10:30

She could have worked in her family business - her alternative was hardly begging on the streets.

breathing · 30/04/2011 10:31

But you held them up as parents of good measure. I consider a child who has made something of him/herself and producing something of value to the world and society as a successful result in parenting (as well as personal attributes)

Bonsoir · 30/04/2011 10:33

The Middleton children are all a total credit to their parents - what are they so lacking in? I just don't understand your position. If the Middleton children had no way of supporting themselves and were ne'er do wells, that would be another thing entirely. But they aren't! I should be delighted if my children turned out that well.

breathing · 30/04/2011 10:35

I wouldnt be happy of my daughter hadnt made something of herself independently

breathing · 30/04/2011 10:38

My point is that the Middleton's shouldnt be held up as some example of exceptional parenting . They were lucky their daughter met and married the future king. Otherwise, what do they have? Daughter's who havent made anything of themselves , "socialites". Not a bad thing but not a shining example of what i consider an exceptional result in parenting. Does that make sense?

jenny60 · 30/04/2011 10:48

SWC: YANBU.
onagar: brilliant post

fastedwina · 30/04/2011 10:52

who knows what she would have done if she hadn't met William at such a young age. She might have had a completely different life and a career.

MoreBeta · 30/04/2011 10:56

Good grief. I cannot believe the spite and nastiness on this and other threads.

The Middleton family have acted with enormous reserve, good grace and discretion during the last decade under a constant barrage of media intrusion. They are a loving family, the parents founded and have run a successful business, their children are a credit to them.

I am sure that under different circumstances Kate would have joined the family business at some stage as many children do and then lived a happy, productive but otherwise unremarkable life - like most of us on here.

As it is she met and married a man who has a rather important role to play in the life of the nation and she has chosen to share his life. More to the point, he chose her and I think he chose well.

breathing · 30/04/2011 11:00

Its not spiteful at all. I just think its overcompensating and a little jingoistic suggesting they are an exceptional model of parenting. Why? Because they happened onto this situation? I dont think they are bad parents and seem to have lovely kids but I wont be told they are a shining example to us all.

breathing · 30/04/2011 11:04

Their business success, however, I do admire.

CointreauVersial · 30/04/2011 11:43

Well, I went to bed last night after nodding off watching SWC and Serenity throw mud at each other.....but just coming back to respond to Bakelite: When I said I wished the moaners/bah humbug crew would "go away", I meant in RL. Of course I didn't doubt I'd encounter a few when I joined this thread.

I was thinking last night about my (admittedly Sun-readerish) comment about the day making me feel "proud to be British". I think it's all the tradition, heritage and ceremony that we do so well; the whole day reflected our history. It's something I was brought up with, attending a very historic school and university, and living in a village where royal events were a cause for a good-old party. My brother lives in Australia and laments the lack of any such sense of heritage and tradition, and in a strange way he misses it.

Bonsoir · 30/04/2011 11:43

Oh come on, Kate Middleton and her sister and brother didn't bring themselves up. Their parents undertook the job of parenting with the utmost care and attention.

HalfPastWine · 30/04/2011 11:47

Cointreau I was thinking last night about my (admittedly Sun-readerish) comment about the day making me feel "proud to be British". I think it's all the tradition, heritage and ceremony that we do so well; the whole day reflected our history

Yes, we do do it well, there's no denying it. We may cock up in other areas but I agree we do the pomp and ceremony brilliantly. The rest of the world know it too which is why so many tuned in. And for that, I am proud to be British.

I just hope we can achieve the same with the Olympic Games.

BakeliteBelle · 30/04/2011 11:59

Cointreau, I was also brought up in a very traditional, conservative, C of E family, where any excuse to bring out the Union Jack was exploited. I completely understand the mentality of Royalists.

I have gone on to live a very different life from my parents and so many years on, I look at it from a distance and I now find all the pomp, ceremony, hierarchy and expense just a load of old nonsense frankly.

What is more 'historic' about one school or university? 'Ordinary' places, people and institutions have managed to make their own history as everyone and everything is part of history.

BakeliteBelle · 30/04/2011 12:00

We also do free health care very well. Give me the history of the NHS over Royalty any day

Highlander · 30/04/2011 12:14

I loved watching it, but I always feel sad due to the extreme wealth on show.

Given that they're not planning chidlren for a few years, I want to see her (finally) earn her keep, not just swan around Angelsey/London.

CointreauVersial · 30/04/2011 12:16

Oh, for sure, Bakelite, there are many things that are great about our country - free healthcare, the ability to queue politely, our beer, our multiculturalism, fish & chips......but I include in that list the sense of tradition and heritage. I still love it, I'm afraid.

Highlander · 30/04/2011 12:22

My opinion is that the Middletons have worked extremely hard and should be very proud of their business success. Their children are lovely.

However, it's a very sad (British?) that the only way they could perceive adult success for their children was to send them to educational institutions where the upper class/extremely wealthy reside. This had nothing to do with sending their kids to schools with a sound academic record; it had everything to do with propelling them into the world of the 'social elite'.

Kate Middleton is not a commoner; she, and her siblings, are members of a social elite who quite clearly think it's beneath them to do a decent day's work when the they can live off inherited wealth.

It's very telling that the Royal Family, for all of their 'we're in touch with the people', only feel comfortable hanging out with extremely wealthy people.

hmc · 30/04/2011 12:44

I could not agree with Bakelite more : "I think there are lots of people who haven't enjoyed the wedding or bought into the whole 'Hello Magazine' crap of it all, but they have not been represented in the press at all.

Not a minute spared to present the other view which, considering we fools pay for it all and there has always been a strong Republican streak in Britain, is disgraceful."

I would have loved to have seen a televised debate with a motion for and against the monarchy and erudite people on both sides fielded to discuss it. What an opportunity for throught provoking and interesting tv - missed!

breathing · 30/04/2011 12:44

Spot on highlander.
I know where Id be sending a daughter to school if I had one

Restrainedrabbit · 30/04/2011 12:48

As an ex-tourism university lecturer here are some stats:

Tourism is our 3rd largest contributor to GDP

We have the 4th largest tourism 'brand' in the world, not bad for a tiny island, most of our visitors come here for heritage tourism of which Royalty is a major attraction. "Visiting heritage attractions is also a very popular activity for inbound visitors with 5.8 million visiting a castle, 5 million visiting historic houses and 6.4 million visiting religious buildings or monuments" (www.visitbritain.org/insightsandstatistics/visitoreconomyfacts/index.aspx)

"In 2009 the UK ranked sixth in the international tourist arrivals league behind France, USA, Spain, China and Italy, accounting for 3.2% of global arrivals (3.3% in 2008).

In 2009 the UK ranked seventh in the international tourism earnings league (compared with sixth in 2007) behind the USA, Spain, France, Italy, China and Germany according to UNWTO figures." (www.visitbritain.org/insightsandstatistics/visitoreconomyfacts/index.aspx)

Attraction of royalty contribute £500m to the economy each year.

This is why we should embrace our royal heritage Grin

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