To think Prince William and his wife are lacking appreciation of their position

[fideline]

and good fortune?

He just seems a bit of an over-privileged posh boy?

I know everyone says he has lovely manners, but we can expect a bit more than that, surely?

They have just hired a 'forrin' nanny a) after making an enormous PR fuss about not having one b) at a time of high UK unemployment.

The list of god-parents for their baby was a bit multi-barrelled and No foreign royals, as is traditional, but Not the slightest whiff of any demographic diversity either.

There seem to be a LOT of luxury holidays going on with these two.

The uni course he is doing has been especially designed for him and seems designed to prepare him for inheriting the enormous (private) Duchy of Cornwall. Not exactly public-spirited?

In the much-hyped first post-baby interview, he was keen to promote a charity saving Kenyan Rhinos. Nothing intrinsically wrong with that, but the line between animals he shoots for fun and animals he wants to save is unclear and anyhow a charity for under-privileged (UK?) children would have been the nice, publicity-shrewd thing to do, maybe?

For a couple with a great deal of expensive PR expertise at their disposal they seem to be slightly missing the mark a bit too often.

Everything I've said in support of them, btw is because I think they are in a tough position – vast wealth doesn't change that – and I feel for them and think the younger generation are trying their best to handle it well. Especially William and Harry who lost their mum, because of who she was and her fame, which was an awful tragedy and IMO it's amazing that they are both on the rails at all.

But I do not think all this because I'm pro-monarchy or like "being a subject" or want to fawn and worship them. I would be fine with a republic, though I can see both sides of the argument and don't feel very strongly either way. Maybe it would help to scale the monarchy down and give them less money, as a starting point.

I'm just defending them as humans, doesn't mean I'm a flag-waving royalist with a collection of HRH the queen cake plates.

They don't have cancelled crucial operations and wait 1 whole month to see a female doctor in their gp surgery.

Humph, that's my ha'porth worth on this subject!

Neither do people with private healthcare melika Do you resent those people too?

The only reason people dislike the Royals is because they are richer than them. They use the civil list as their excuse when they bring in more money than they cost in terms of tourism etc., etc.

The idea that tourism pays for the royals is a total myth lady rabbit. Other privileged people usually earned their wealth and are not funded by the tax payer even though they are already rich.

LadyRabbit - what is the evidence for this tourism thing?

'It's just ugly jealousy, plain and simple.'

Jealous of what exactly? Looking at the royals in general, none of them are particularly well educated, intelligent, attractive, interesting.......

The whole thing baffles me completely.

www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/tourism/8587231/UK-Tourism-facts-and-figures.html

The royal family generated 500million in tourism.

www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/tourism/8587231/UK-Tourism-facts-and-figures.html

Quite, squish

Cost the tax payer 36 million.

A well worth investment.

news.sky.com/story/955117/how-much-does-the-royal-family-cost

Also this
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/9345114/Crown-Estate-what-is-the-Sovereign-Grant.html
So as I understand it, the civil list has been replaced by the Sovereign Grant which is 15% of profits from Crown Estates - ie. the Queen being allowed to keep profits from Royal estates. And she pays tax does she not? Coupled with tourism generated revenue it's not exactly draining public taxes. Quite the opposite.

Sorry, previous link didn't work:

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/9345114/Crown-Estate-what-is-the-Sovereign-Grant.html

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/9417699/Royal-family-members-may-lose-guards.html

113.5 million security cost.

I don't know, you would have to ask those people who spend there money to travel to see the royal family.

Most people cannot afford private health care, Ladyrabbit, not in my social circle anyway!!!

If the monarchy was abolished and the palaces opened up for tourists, we would have FAR more tourists and we wouldn't have to pay millions to keep the monarchy going.

The truth is the monarchy is robbing us, we are being conned.

"The only reason people dislike the Royals is because they are richer than them"

I dislike the Royals because they are useless, vapid, don't use their influence to its full potential (to do good) and that I am expected to think that they are "wonderful" and "amazing" when actually they are, at best, pretty fucking ordinary.

HadABadDay2014 and LadyRabbit sourced those figures yourselves did you?

They must be right because the Telegraph said so.
There is no possibility of the figures being twisted, or miscalculated, or just plain wrong - of course.

Why would they, a bit paranoid there.

The security cost would be the wages of the police/guards. I really don't mind paying £1 or 2 a year if it keeps people in jobs.

Also the cleaners,cooks and other household staff that would loose their jobs.

The royal houses are the royal assets, if the royal family lost their titles they really don't have to open them to the public.

Still laughing at the idea that you think dislike = jealousy.

I must be really jealous of Putin then.

Seriously though, what a lazy argument.