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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Prince William to leave the armed services

259 replies

baffledmum · 12/09/2013 12:07

I am a fan of the monarchy but this has just made me stop and think...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24065166

Hmmm – not going to a “full time royal” = part-time royal then. What's he doing with the rest of his time?

I'd be happy to give up my job to focus on royal work and charity duties if someone can tell me where to apply! Or am I just being mean and unreasonable that he can afford to? Envy

OP posts:
curlew · 12/09/2013 14:46

""There are plenty people with the same sort of inherited wealth doing less work."

And if he was paying for everything himself, including upkeep of the houses he lives in and his security, then that would be absolutely fine. But when members of the Royal Family are not on the Civil List, that doesn't mean they don't get any public money. It just comes out of a differentl pot.

diddl · 12/09/2013 14:48

"Maybe he's going to take a leaf out of his idle wife's book and do nothing."

Wonder if they'll be the first to retire & hand over to the next generation?

Mandy2003 · 12/09/2013 14:56

BoozyBear - you forgot about Princess Anne and Prince Edward in your rant Grin

@ Andrew being a twat - LOL!!

LimburgseVlaai · 12/09/2013 15:02

There wasn't really much point him having a 'proper' job - he was never there! Always off on some jaunt or other, attending the Olympics or Wimbledon or doing photo calls...

I often wondered whether other service personnel could get away with working as little as William did. Did he get unpaid leave?

Anyway - the idle rich eh?

Mutley77 · 12/09/2013 15:13

Love the Jeremy kyle tinny comment!!!

How do we know? Glass of champs in front of escape to the country maybe??

CuteDesigns · 12/09/2013 15:19

I don't think he was even meeting the minimum flying hours with all the time he had off and he wasn't doing much for the Firm either.

He can work as a full time royal like Kate and do half a dozen public engagements over a week, every three months.

kim147 · 12/09/2013 15:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Misspixietrix · 12/09/2013 15:23

Mutley Grin. Yoni never thought of that. Will they be making me sandwiches too. Just so I can go and have them in all the different rooms no one has used for the last 35years just so they have a point of cleaning them :)

LeGavrOrf · 12/09/2013 15:25

God knows how he was permitted to be a pilot in the first place as he has to wear glasses.

I think he is a bit of a curmudgeonly bugger.

diddl · 12/09/2013 15:30

It amazes me that people think him & Kate are the future of the monarchy tbh.

Seems the same old, same old to me!

Piss about part time in the military until you finally have to give something back for the privileged lifestyle.

Like foreign tripsHmm & saving wildlife in AfricaHmm

kim147 · 12/09/2013 15:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

kim147 · 12/09/2013 15:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Onesleeptillwembley · 12/09/2013 15:38

At least you could never accuse the wife of taking someone's job.

diddl · 12/09/2013 15:39

"At least you could never accuse the wife of taking someone's job."
GrinGrinGrin

oscarwilde · 12/09/2013 15:41

To be fair - his job has been outsourced to a private firm by the government. American I believe, who are going to run the RAF search and rescue services...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21934077

I'm not sure that the British public, royalist or not, want the future King of England to be on the payroll of a private firm.
Obviously he has the option to return (I presume - or possibly his only option was to be made redundant by the Armed Forces) to another part of the RAF, but this was one of the few non-combatant areas of the RAF where he could "usefully" work. They won't let him fly in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria etc etc.

diddl · 12/09/2013 15:43

GrinGrinGrin-that's me still laughing at onesleeps post.

Perhaps they should just get on with Royal life after school/uni, or do a job for 10 years or so with no royal duties?

All this "we're so ordinary & working like ordinary folk" is so sickening.

Onesleeptillwembley · 12/09/2013 15:46

Happy to oblige, diddl. GrinGrin

CuteDesigns · 12/09/2013 15:47

A woman in her youth, with her health and a degree, what a waste of her life.

Grin @ "At least you could never accuse the wife of taking someone's job."

LtEveDallas · 12/09/2013 15:48
  1. He passed his pilots exams with flying colours.
  2. Pilots are allowed to have corrected vision.
  3. He didn't draw his military wage, there are lots of independantly wealthy forces personnel that don't.
  4. He was only on a short service contract that was supposed to end after 3 years, he asked to extend.
  5. He had no more 'leave' than every other service person, his Royal Duties were just that, Duties.
XBenedict · 12/09/2013 15:50

He did longer than me in the RAF!!

SoupDragon · 12/09/2013 15:54

At least you could never accuse the wife of taking someone's job.

They can't win can they? Either they are lazy good for nothings or they have stolen a job from someone.

Onesleeptillwembley · 12/09/2013 15:56

I'd rather they did a job. There was no reason for her not to, for years.

thegreylady · 12/09/2013 15:58

Leave them alone-there's not one of you would do otherwise in their position.They seem decent enough young people who are born into wealth and privilege they will do charity work and act as ambassadors for our country which is a hell of a lot more than can be said for some other non working couples.

wannabedomesticgoddess · 12/09/2013 15:59

Jealousy is a terrible thing. It could eat you alive.

curlew · 12/09/2013 16:00

Happy to leave them alone. The very minute they stop spending tax money.

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