To be a bit in awe of Carole Middleton?

[Swashbucklers]

For having gone from East London air stewardess, to successfully setting up and running a multi million pound business while raising 3 children, maintaining a very 'family' based life, and still looking after herself and looking great?

His the hell did she do that? I want to be her.

LittleMissAbs why should they work in the professions just because you deem it a better fit? Would you like to be treated by a doctor or employ a solicitor who really didn't give a shit but was doing it because their sister might be queen? How would you feel if you profession was dictated by your siblings?

And people who make a career in sport are a very rare bunch who's career is dictated by having a physicality 99.9999% of people don't have.

Where did I say that they should work in the professions, Bridget? The point was made that they would be criticised for working in a commercial field and that perhaps this explains their decision not to obtain any independent work (as in being paid by an employer of some kind, not their family).

The further point is that you would hope that at least one out of three of those expensively educated trio would have some form of job. Many people work in the professions, as they tend to go hand in hand with university educations.

I've never before considered the possibility that someone might choose a profession based on the likelihood of their sibling marrying into the royal family, but I agree with you that it is a novel concept.

I have to admit I am, but then I am in awe of any family that have had an idea and made it successful. More so of them because I live near where they started.

I watched the royal wedding thinking how on earth can they remain so calm and collected with the world watching, when they've not spent their life being groomed for it. It must have been crazy

I agree - I am also in awe of how calm and collected they are, and how they've handled the whole royal wedding having not spent their lives being groomed or prepared for it.

LittleMissAbs, what you implied was that if they didn't want to be criticized they should choose a career like the professions or sport and that if they don't they're fair game for people to have a pop at. And you dismiss any other kind of career as just something to prop up their social lives and careers.

I think they're good news. Carole's brought up really functional kids who know how to have fun but don't go too far. I'm not sure I'd feel the world was my oyster professionally if I was Kate. Think of how difficult it was for her when she had that stint at Jigsaw. I would probably have thrown myself into the family business too. My husband also works in a family business and it's not an easy option!

It looks very hard work to be a member of the royal family with never an off day and every movement watched. I would have had many meltdowns by now, in her expensive shoes.

Kate's dress sense may not be to everyone's taste, and she is a little too thin usually, but her clothes are very pleasant to look at and so much nicer than many contemporary 'stars'. She has style, poise, a happy smile - she's a nice role model. Yes, it can seem slightly too old, but she's stepped into a role that requires an old head on her shoulders. And do we really want her to look her age, given how most women of 30 are looking at the moment? Wouldn't that style then constantly be needing to be updated, thereby upstaging and distracting from the work she is clearly committed to doing well? I think it's a considered mood. One look to last a lifetime.

Looking at the life she had before going out with William, I suspect that her apparent inertness at times has been a considered decision. I also think it's an invaluable thing for everyone in the UK to see a solid marriage. There can be no doubt that those two love each other and work together well. That can only be to the good, since we're all deeply influenced by the media. I'm looking forward to seeing them modelling good parenting skills too, probably doing ten times as much good as all those silly BBC3 documentaries.

For the first time in goodness knows how long, the royal family are cheering us up and giving us something to celebrate and be proud of. I suspect William was always going to marry someone nice, but Kate's more than pulling her weight. Credit where it's due, Carole's done us proud.

Blimey faber does the Palace PR office make you work at half past midnight?

It looks very hard work to be a member of the royal family with never an off day and every movement watched

Being a member of the Royal family looks like a piece of piss work-wise.

You have to turn up at a string of provincial leisure centres, youth clubs and hospital wards and unveil a plaque that says you unveiled a plaque, chat to the plebs and then piss off in your limo.

Mind you she hardly pushed herself on this score and she seems content to coast along in the background and she did less than almost any other Royal. She did about 100 odd royal engagements last year, and given that they tend to cram about seven or eight of these into one day, it equates to about three weeks work in total.

I also think it's an invaluable thing for everyone in the UK to see a solid marriage. There can be no doubt that those two love each other and work together well.

We have no idea if their marriage is happy or not. They can certainly put on an appearance of a happy marriage. Whether that's reality is anyone's guess. But is it not a tad patronising to assume that intelligent adults need to be shown what a happy marriage looks like? We will have either experienced it ourselves or will have seen it first hand from friends and relatives. Ditto parenting.

For the first time in goodness knows how long, the royal family are cheering us up and giving us something to celebrate and be proud of.

Yay. Crack open the bunting, wave a little union jack, adopt a suitably servile expression and tug our forelocks.

God so bitchey on here.

I am sure there have been many times that poor woman has rued the day she fell in live with a royal.....but she did.
A good looking seemingly very nice woman like that could have had her pick of many an eligible batchelor I am sure and a far easier life than that that lies ahead. She seems very nice and well done to her mother for raising what seem like very decent people.....why have so many got a chip on here about social climbing and the like, like she does not deserve to marry into the royal family or now lead the life she leads. Don,t think for one moment it is some charmed life she has ahead but one full of duties and criticism at every small thing. She is already doing a great job and I only wish her and her family well. I guess there has always been a baying mob in the face of others representing what you do not have.
None of us know her, just as she seems and I happen to think she seems rather an expceptional modest and understated young woman. The royal family got lucky that Carole raised her kids well.....now how they will benefit from their association with her because most people can spot a genuine and good person, and that is what I think it seems they have got in Kate.

I didn't miss the way Kate was on her Wedding day when she got out of the carriage at Buck Palace. I didn't miss a few other things Kate and William behaved at other stages. Perfect they are not, meek and down to earth they are not, they are simply ok.

10p an hour in a mexican factory to produce a bloody pinata and then sell on for £13 is nothing to be in awe of

RoseFlower- what do you mean? One thing that did strike me on the wedding day was during the flyover one of her little bridesmaids was very visibly distressed. She offered nowhere near the amount of reassurance that the little one needed, I felt really sorry for her out in front of all those people but with no one giving her a cuddle.

Well normally we see Kate being swooned and tended to and everything going perfectly for her, so she is smiley and happy yes, we rarely see her in action when things do not go her way. Well when she got out of the carriage a footman slipped up and stood too close to her, the look she gave him could have killed and the way she handled herself, I have seen others give a look like that, they are used to getting their way and when things do not go their way they have very high standards about making sure the offender knows, even after the event. I think on the whole she is not a bad person, I get the impression she has issues with controlling as much perfection in her life and a chip left over from previously being bullied.

I have lurked on threads on here for a while and read about people who have seen Kate shopping, in TOP Shop and Waitrose. There is a lot of indecision apparently, with Kate ordering food from the deli counter and then changing her mind and leaving it litter across the store. The fact she has no help other than a housekeeper and a hairdresser, yes it is lovely that she doesn't waste Dutchy income, she is happy to have cleaners or someone to sort out the dry cleaning etc, it also says that she wants control over her own clothes purchases, food and cooking, nothing wrong with that, just gives an insight into who she is.

Hmm in the families local Waitrose they have been nothing, but polite.

To just defend James Middleton (the boy), he dropped out of uni, but set up a cake making company, making cake kits - and they are very good! Plus he also now does corporate cakes. He set this up before his sister got married, although has had a lot of parental backing. He doesn't seem to have courted the press and seems rather startled when papped, although it could be more he's not as photogenic as his sisters and has less "society" friends...

And you dismiss any other kind of career as just something to prop up their social lives and careers

Wrong again Bridget. As I said before, I was responding to the comment which said that they would be criticised if they worked in a commercial field.

I simply find it not very admirable that of three expensively educated children, not one has a proper paying job outwith the family network. Therefore working in one of the professions would seem to offer a good solution. Except that none of them are qualified to do so of course.

pitmountainpony A good looking seemingly very nice woman like that could have had her pick of many an eligible batchelor I am sure and a far easier life than that that lies ahead

I'm not so sure. I think it was a calculated social climbing decision to place Kate within a certain social circle at university. And a future king and marriage into the royal family would be considered too high profile to be entirely desirable for some of the more intelligent, eligible girls from that circle, who could have their pick of landed, titled gentry without the public interest. True, she might have married into those circles, but equally she might have been considered a bit ... obvious in her desire to upgrade and have only managed a hedge fund manager. I'm sure she is a nice girl though. But not one who has done very much with her life to admire thus far.

I didn't know that marrying an eligible bachelor remained the prime aim of young women in the 21st century.

And I don't give a toss about two toffs showing me what their (apparently) 'solid marriage' looks like or 'modelling good parenting'.

Family businesses are hard work usually.

I admire Mr and Mrs Middelton for building up their own business, bringing up three polite, functioning kids (who cares what their careers are, going to university doesn't mean you have to be a barrister rather than a baker) and giving them lots of opportunities in life, and seeming to do it without a whole load of family help/immense wealth/hordes of nannies.

I think it's telling that Kate has chosen to spend first few weeks after birth back home with her mum, as many of us might have done, or wanted to have done.

Having your own business takes guts and hard work. Good for her.

It might be telling that Kate wants to spend six weeks at her mum's after the baby is born but what hasn't been talked about is the huge security headache it is going to cause.
They'll need extra bodyguards (paid for by us) as well as the local police force on 24 hour emergency call ahead of any other issues.

So as much as I understand her wanting to have her mum around (but six weeks?????) it would have been easier and a hell of a lot cheaper if she'd moved her mum in.

I have been away from MN for a few weeks.
I have returned to find it colonised by some very strange people.
That is all I am going to say about this thread.

I agree NEVER thought I would see a thread on Mn in awe of someone like CM

Just and at this thread! We still prefer Kim Sears, sorry Mrs Middleton x

Wow!!!

Well normally we see Kate being swooned and tended to and everything going perfectly for her, so she is smiley and happy yes, we rarely see her in action when things do not go her way. Well when she got out of the carriage a footman slipped up and stood too close to her, the look she gave him could have killed and the way she handled herself, I have seen others give a look like that, they are used to getting their way and when things do not go their way they have very high standards about making sure the offender knows, even after the event. I think on the whole she is not a bad person, I get the impression she has issues with controlling as much perfection in her life and a chip left over from previously being bullied.

All based on one look on one INCREDIBLY stressful day! I snapped at my hairdresser and moaned at my brothers on my wedding day. We had 40 guests, not a billion people watching, and no heads of state. I think she did well not to freak the fuck out and run down the aisle screaming "Get In!"

People are so mean. Why is it so important that we're all critical and negative? Why look for the negative slant?

• The Middletons sent their children to good schools because they wanted them to do well in life. This is a normal desire. Read loving parents, not social climbers.
• If Carole did wish to climb socially, she has a right to do that. She is not the poor man at his gate. She can enter the upper classes if she wants to.
• Working in a family business is not an easy option. Especially when it's quite a big business too. My husband works in a family business and I'd like to see his face if I suggested it wasn't a 'proper job'. Why is it considered more worthy to go and work for some other business just to keep you guys happy, when this is probably the business that she knows and they probably consider her a good fit? Especially when her one attempt to work somewhere else resulted in a media circus?
• A couple who can look relaxed together when they are in the media this much, with their facial expressions analysed intently by all, are probably happy.
• We're all influenced by the media. Happy smiles, non-tarty clothes, solid family values, loving parents and probably good parenting too - this is all very, very good news in a world in which good news is rare.

Fine, let's not order them all halos, but there's no need to take a biased, negative slant and then pretend it's the voice of reason. We were all quick enough to criticise the media when Diana died, and to profess deep grief as a nation. Why can't we learn from that experience and just be positive?