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.

I don't really care what they are like but I dislike the monarchy as a whole - it needs scrapping.

I claim benefts - the press isn't following me round criticising me for donating money to charity that isn't deemed to be suitable.

Didn't there used to be an unwritten rule, for example, that British Royals drove British Cars, wore British Designers, generally supported British industry.

I understand the car thing is getting tricky, but has the whole rule been torn up?

It would be more impressive than shmoozing with Qatari princes, as far as championing British interests goes.

IamInvisible.
No, not quite like everyone else, as he also had other duties to perform, like the Olympics etc. but when he was at work, he was at work. The same could be said for the athletes involved - it used to be very common to get ourself on the luge, bob, or skeleton team as a service person, and get months off for training and competition.

You need to speak to your welfare officer or dh's boss if he's being asked to use leave for surgeries and welfare reasons. It's not William's fault if your dh's boss is less than sympathetic. There are plenty of sensible RAF types that would work out a compassionate schedule for welfare reasons around that stuff.

And funnily enough, I've actually worked the planes that sent them off and back home from the Falklands, etc, and the joke doing the rounds was that they CARRIED THEIR OWN BAGS and put them in the back of the waiting car themselves. Sure, they didn't have to go through the terminal (no point really, and neither do a shed load of other folk getting off flights if there is a car waiting for them for whatever reason - compassionate/ VIP, whatever). And ya got me. It wasn't a ford fiesta. And in truth, I was crosser than cross that they carried their own goddamned bags. The media got snaps of it and I was pissed that the boys and girls had been caught out not doing their jobs

And given the fact that he had worked at Brize a few times, he was more than capable of taking himself to the mess for lunch if he was hungry.

I'm sorry you are finding military service hard going at the the moment - I would definitely suggest getting dh to go back to work or to your families officer and try to sort something out. But the issues that you are facing have no bearing on how William did or did not do his job. Please do contact whatever that ridiculous AFF wannabe service is, too (I can't remember the name of it, but am sure you are familiar) - they are really very. Good at advising wives in difficult situations how best to proceed.

And are you donating your spare money, kew to lots of charities? Only I'd hazard a guess that you probably need your money for you.. So donating the spares is probably not all that much of a worry?

It would be a nice problem to have!

I just find it so embarrassing we still have a royal family. In 2014 we're still expected to pay for and fawn over specific people purely due to lottery of birth. The figures given don't include astronomical security bills, and as for all the Duchy of Cornwall stuff - where do you think the royals got the land from in the first place? The tourism angle is rubbish too - the most visited destination in the world is France! More people go to sodding Legoland Windsor than Windsor castle. People would still visit the palaces without the royals (Versailles seems to be doing ok), people would still visit the UK without the royals!
As for William and Kate, I'm sure they're lovely people - but surely girls can find a better role model than a 30-something year old woman who has never had a job and whose main achievement is waiting for a ring/having nice hair? Plus they've never been called up on the fact that they said they were too busy prepping for their latest holiday tour to attend the paralympics despite being olympic ambassadors when they were actually on holiday in France sunbathing on a balcony.

Sorry, that turned into a bit of a rant! I just feel that in an ideal world we'd be holding up our scientists, doctors, researchers, charity workers, nurses, teachers, academics, business leaders etc etc up for adulation based on what they've made of themselves and done for the country rather the royals.

Why should William be more like Charles?

Charles is doing his thing, there's no need for William to do the same.

And this is a young couple we are talking about, we don't know what they will achieve with the rest of their lives. They're around the same as as me, and I'd like to think I'm nowhere near done yet!

I get the point that no one is entitled to privilege, but people are entitled to pass what they have onto their own children. That includes rich people.

I'm not a big fan of the royal family, in fact I don't much like them at all.

And yet at the same time, I am mindful of the fact that he didn't ask to be born into his family any more than I asked to be born into mine.

It's tricky. I mean, I don't much care for them, and they live a life of privilege, but so do lots of people who don't 'deserve' it, just as people don't 'deserve' to be poor.

And I assume they have feelings, like anyone else. He's got an easy life of sorts, but he lost his mother when he was still a child; I wouldn't swap places with him.

But if Kate is finding it takes up a lot of time, helping her baby find good charities to donate to, then yes, of course that would warrant her doing knack all else with her life.

they are spoilt and uninspiring and their pr is now backfiring on them and the pretence they live normal lives do they take the public for such fools sadly many are foolish enough to believe this rubbish

I agree totally with HermioneWeasley

Why should he by like anyone.

I don't think you are really grasping the concept of a royal family.

They do what they like and you pay for it.

Because they are the royals and you are not.

See how that works? That is what being a Royal is all about. There are no 'unwritten' rules unless you want them, because you are the boss of everyone.

I don't actually object to the royals by the way, I find them amusing. I don't mind them enough to be pushing for a republic.

To be fair I saw princess anne on a train. Mortifyingly I stole her newspaper (thought it wasnt wanted) and didn't own up when she asked her assistant where it was. Always feel slightly guilty when I see her...

I think princess Anne can probably suck up the cost of another newspaper!

Damned if they do, damned if they don't. They are accused of being too normal and too posh at the same time.

The choice for Kate Middleton to do nothing throughout her 20s was unfortunate in the impression it created. Maybe there were genuine issues around paid employment, but she could have volunteered, studied to an advanced level, tried self employment or an artistic career. It would have created a much better public impression and surely been much better for her.

A lot of jealousy going on here. Surely you can't help what family you are born into? I know plenty of people who have never bothered to get a job and instead live off their partner/spouse or family. I agree it is a valid criticism of Kate, but how many women (and men) do just what she does? ie not get a career and hang off a man to support their standard of living? I can think of several, including my SIL, who to be blunt, isn't as decorative.

It's not the cost it was a late night train so no way of buying a paper. I nicked the last free one as I walked through first class then heard her asking her assistant where the last paper had gone...

I'm not fans. But most of the foreign holidays recently seem to have been Middleton based and they earned their own money.

Also they didn't make their own PR fuss about not having a nanny. They had one from the get go but she is too old to travel. It was the Mail, Express et al who made the fuss.

She worked in her family business, she's a very talented and committed photographer. Honestly - all this info is SO in the public domain. It's just embarrassing that people refuse to acknowledge it.

I do object to funding the lives of all the hangers on. They are keeping us back as a county I think other countries laugh at us for keeping them...they represent an out dated institution of pomp and outrageous wealth. That only appeals to role conscious sicafants.

I would rather support a hard working low income family who needed help. The benefits bill is so high because so many families are in poverty.
Lets have a vote? I think people should have a choice as to whether they still have any purpose.

I think Charles was extremely circumscribed in his choices, with some tragic consequences, but I also think he tried hard to understand this country and its problems, despite his personal difficulties.

William just seems determined to do his own thing. I wonder if he actively rejects advice?

You're right though, Kew, I ^don't remember a jet-setting playboy Charles. He did found Princes Trust in his 20s though I think(?) and always had a serious, conscientious side?

Regardless your 30s is the time to settle down and do a good job.

Don't have any particularly strong feelings about them personally.

I do, however, take issue with LtEveDallas' point earlier in the thread that "they cost me less personally than someone on benefits".

Dallas, when challenged about this, you produced figures that the RF costs each taxpayer 62p a year, whereas the benefits bill costs each taxpayer 75p a year.

No idea if your figures are correct, but if they are they certainly don't back up your point, since the latter figure you gave was for the TOTAL benefits bill - not for "someone" on benefits. There are a lot more people in receipt of benefits than there are publicly funded members of the RF, so your point is totally misleading.

Apologies if someone has already pointed this out. It seems to me to be in pretty poor taste anyway to defend the Royal Family by means of a bit of benefit claimants bashing.

Well if she likes taking photos: lovely! I'm sure she has a nice time doing that.
I'm sure they're both pleasant and decent people. But I don't like the sycophantic attitude towards Kate when all she's ever done is be quiet and have nice hair; I find that worrying on a number of levels.

^"They do what they like and you pay for it.

Because they are the royals and you are not."^

Crikey, Morloth, that's not what we were told through the 70s/80s/90s

Poor Prince Charles couldn't even choose his own wife, first time round.

I don't think her work with Action on addiction , the children's hospice or the Art room are missing the mark.

And she is a scout volunteer.

I admire her for supporting children and parents at such vunerable times in their lives .