To think that the royals aren't priveleged

[pouffepants]

People keep saying this, but I wouldn't want their lives for anything. The only people I would less like to be would be people suffering abuse, or dreadful illnesses.

I don't think there should be a royal family, it's an outdated concept to have hereditary holders of power. But clearly it's not easy to get rid of, and even if we did, generations would still be scrutinised by the media as if they still were.

It looks awful, permanently being in the limelight.

You might have a great house, but no real privacy.
You'd have loads of money, OK no worries, but beyond a certain amount, what's the point?
You can't go anywhere freely, without feeling you're being watched, I'd hate that.
And you have no real choices. I know some have had military careers, but that's about it (for the main royals anyway), you can't suddenly decide to be a doctor, or teacher or whatever. Hell I'd be annoyed if someone told me I COULDN'T work on a checkout.
You can't make choices for your kids either. You can't just decide to send them to a local school and brownies, even if you think it's best for them, because of all the baggage that goes with it, and safety concerns. I would not feel like an autonomous parent in those circumstances.

I wouldn't do it for anything!

OK, I take the point, you could opt out if you wanted to. But the lifestyle just looks dire.

Yes Kim, that's more what I meant.

Don't worry pouffe - I don't think there's an imminent chance of you becoming royalty. You can relax

pouffe she also has kids, grandkids, plenty of interests that she has the money (and time) to indulge in, good friends... I mean, other than the fact she can't go to the supermarket by herself I'd say her life has been pretty fucking good.

That's the only thing you've got that she hasn't, and she's got plenty you don't.

YABU, they are very privileged, you can bet that they all get much higher standards of education and healthcare than your average person, I'm betting Kate won't be left to fend for herself on a 4 berth postnatal ward, in pain from stitches and weak from blood loss. The lack of privacy may be an inconvenience but IMHO it's a fair trade off for what they get out of it.

I'd much rather belong to the Duke of Westminster's family. He's worth about 4 billion quid, owns a large chunk of London, a Duke is only a step down from royalty but most people would walk past him or his children in the street without a second glance, the papers ignore him and no one harps on about his family spending their (also inherited) wealth on holidays or yachts. Sounds like a far far better life to me!

I've been shouted at again today, because xmil wanted my mobile number for some reason. I have to have one for work.

I absolutely refuse to give it to anyone else except work, because I can't bear people being able to contact me when I'm out. I know I don't have to answer, but people expect you to, so I mostly say I don't have one.

I'm stupidly protective of my right to swan about as I wish, and I think that's why this hit a nerve. I really would do most things rather than be tracked everywhere.

Panpiper, what would i want that she's got? I promise to answer honestly.

The only thing I might vaguely fancy would be a small boat.

I think pouffe that for you, you feel able to cope if you were on the streets, but dont think you could cope with being a royal.

Yes. The Queen, like all the royals, has some exceptionally close friends. Can you trust that none of your friends would shop you to the Sundays if you were suddenly of national interest? If you're Queen you can't do superficial friendships, there has to be trust, loyalty etc.

That's about the sum of it.

Heart bleeding as needful.

Sorry, but I think 'hitting a nerve' is not sufficient reason.

I may be out of line here - I've not lived on the streets and I am assuming pouffe has. But I still think she is being very dismissive of the obvious privilege the monarchy enjoy.

It is perfectly understandable to pity the royals for aspects of their lives.

It is not understandable - and it is rather disgusting - to pretend that greater privilege doesn't exist, just because we feel sorry for someone or for how we imagine we'd feel in that situation. That is self-indulgent rubbish - I'm sorry, but it is.

The royals are wealthy, on average very long-lived because they receive excellent healthcare, they are protected from physical harm and they have many, many, many roofs over their heads. They are hugely privileged compared to the vast majority of the world's population and to pretend otherwise is to ignore people who are genuinely suffering.

I haven't lived on the streets but I've been homeless and sleeping on sofas. It is unbelievably shit and it makes you feel like shit about yourself.

Absolutely not comparing them to the starving of the world, clearly we are all privileged in this country to not be living in a famine although it may be difficult to provide adequately sometimes.

Of course, they have loads of money, houses, security etc etc, but is that a privilege? It all looks a bit pointless to me. There's no satisfaction in earning it, and what benefit is to be had from it compared to the average middle class person (who of course is privileged in their own way).

Pouffe/Kim 147 You have a very similar view on things are you one and the same?
Plenty of people live rough quite happily
YOu know this really?

I've slept on lots of sofas, why does it make you feel shit about yourself?

I'm not Kim, but well chuffed to find someone who vaguely agrees, no-one ever agrees with me in real life.

Have you pouffe? Because you didn't have anywhere else to go? For months at a time?

I think you'd be challenged to find a situation more likely to damage your self esteem. It's a massive problem for homeless people.

I think the point being that if you find yourself homeless, but have your wits about you, you don't stay there long, and find shelter of some kind quickly. The main people who are on the streets long term have mental health problems, and substance abuse issues. They are probably very unhappy and vulnerable.

Personally, if I fell on hard times, I would go to a rural area and probably contact the church or somewhere to help me out. I would have no need to be knocking about with drunks and hookers.

Nobody's holding a gun to their heads. If their lives are so shit they can try their luck in the outside world. They're not exactly climbing over each other to escape Balmoral are they?

Complete nonsense. Do you really think that if Harry said "bugger this, I want to work in the city and live in a nice house in Surbiton" do you think for a split second that he'd be able to do that and live a normal life? Like hell would he. He'd be hounded just as much as he is now.