Shouldn't we expect just a little bit more of the Duchess of Cambridge.

[sweetgrape]

Never turned up for one single memorial service for the armed forces, but there at Center Court, Wimbledon, rubbing shoulders with a load of celebs,and entertaining Brad and Angelina Pitt at Kensington Palace. Is this what her royal life boils down to.

I agree with saturns post of 8.41am

I'm not a royalist though I'm yet to be convinced that the alternative is any more palatable I can see that some people would to vote in their own particular brand of poison. I have no doubt that should any of the monarchs turn out to be a real duffer that we would probably ditch them in a heartbeat these days. I don't have a problem with the idea of them being "under scrutiny". But I think it isn't fair game when the Palace have clearly said that she is on maternity leave to criticise her for not attending official events. Or for implying that her maternity leave is not somehow valid because she has a Nanny. Prince Philip no doubt went because he is of an era with the remaining survivors and he probably wanted to go. No doubt Kate will attend more than her fair share of commemorations over the years.

The reality is that these are wealthy privileged people and the idea that they wouldn't have privilege or wealth if they weren't royal is laughable. My sister is wealthy and they really do operate on a different level. Nannies the norm, lots of holidays the norm, private jets to fly the dogs to Mallorca, buying the children cars, flats etc etc.

I strongly suspect that given the choice of living the life you want out of the public eye spending your inherited wealth from your mother sounds very attractive to William and Kate. I doubt that he sees it as a choice though but a duty.

And I'm waaaaaaaaaay lazier than my neighbour who is exactly the same age as the queen. Her garden is immaculate and she still walks to get her wn shopping (having recently given up cycling) - like it or not we are a lazier generation on the whole than previous ones. Because we can be.

AIBU to expect people to actually love me? I don't just want the free housing and benefits and to be in the mags and travel the world, I want adoration too. AIBU to be hurt, o, MNers?

Maternity leave from what?

From official engagements of course - its not difficult to work out is it

You might not think official engagements are important or strenuous (I have absolutely no idea though frankly they're more than I would do given the choice) but it isn't beyond the wit of normally smart posters to understand that is what they mean by maternity leave is it?

Indeed - maternity leave from official duties. This doesn't mean she isn't allowed to be seen in public doing things she enjoys without her children.

Oh yeah, I suppose so Kewcumber.

Sorry, I am a royalist in that I prefer our current set up to the idea of a presidency, but I am not a royalist in the sense of following the doings of the royal family day to day. I can honestly say it completely escaped my notice that she has done any 'royal duties'

Did you have a nanny and a team of staff? I'd imagine it's not so hard to get out of the house when you do.

No, I didn't, but I didn't entirely mean that either. It wasn't just that I didn't have help to get out of the house. It was that my life, when I had young children, tended to be a lot more home centred. If all she is doing is sitting around, playing with George and Charlotte, while others make their dinners and wash their clothes, well, that wouldn't be unreasonable in my eyes.

I love how anyone who dares to have a different opinion to the OP is labelled predictable, childish and sad. I'll bow out now because you obviously know more about KM than we do.

People are entitled to resenting paying a penny towards the royal family (though why you would single out Kate is a bit of a mystery to me) but the personal comments about her are bitchy.

Apparently she's deadly dull
She gives tight smiles and looks like she wants to be rescued (amazingly good reading of eye gestures there)
She's on the make
Her eyeliner is offensive

All of this on the back of what you see in the press and no personal knowledge at all.

She might be dim (I have no idea) she might be lazy (I have no idea) she might be a bit bland (again no idea) but that isn't any different probably to a substantial proportion of people using this forum.

If you object to a state funded monarchy then stick to that argument - a character assassination of a person because they aren't more perfect than the majority of us inevitably looks spiteful.

OP you haven't actually made any personal comments but many people have and its really not a good look if people want to be seen as reasonable republicans. My guess is that whoever manages her diary has just been told "no public engagements" for X months and hasn't applied any thought to whether a few might be politic. But then you get into the argument about which public events she should attend when they're all perfectly well covered by other equally important royals.

you weren't the only one to say it electric my comment was to all of the "maternity leave from what" comments

Im struggiling to care tbh she had a baby recently and went to then tennis she has set Royal duties which she carries out all sparkly eyed and smiley give the woman a break

I wish we didn't have a monarchy, but as we do I can't say I'm that bothered by what they do or don't, or what their eyeliner is like.... But I do wish we could stop pretending that what they do, when they do it, is anything like hard work. Of course the queen can still manage to fetch up looking bored at stuff which other women of her age may be in no condition to do... Of course they have to turn up to things sometimes, but it's in no way the same thing as a 'job' such as any of us do.

I'm fairly indifferent to the monarchy tbh...I don't have a strong like or dislike either way.

But realistically, KM exists to look pretty on the arm of the Prince and to provide heirs.

It's silly to have expectations beyond that IMO.

Did you have a nanny and a team of staff? I'd imagine it's not so hard to get out of the house when you do

It can be quite hard,the only difference is that it's much easier to get someone to look after the kids.and you don't tend to be stood there looking at 3 weeks worth of laundry wondering if you should do that of go grab a coffee with a friend.

The kids still scream and cry same as everybody else's. Many people with night nannies still wake up in the night at the same time, we still feel just as weird about our post baby bodies as every body else just as worried about what people will think if they see us without the babies.

Just because we have help it does not make us less of an active involved parent than people without help.

I'm not into the royal family at all but it's a bit shit to be being so hostile about another parent for something as stupid as being on ML or going to the tennis. Last time I checked we didn't only count people as mums and entitled to the same leave as every other parent if they struggled financially or didn't have any help

Actually I've had jobs that did involve a lot of travel standing around talking to people and being pleasant and many people (mostly those who worked for me) though I didn't do much!

Though in my case to be fiar, it wasn't so well paid and was full time rather than part-time

Camel I don't know. I'm presenting my opinion.

My opinion is that based on her decade long, determined pursuit of William, her alleged treatment of his female friends, and the way she spoke to two people I know back in the day of her going clubbing in London (she was bloody horrible to them).

On the other hand, I imagine that I'd really like Cate Blanchett. Some people you like, some you don't. It's absolutely normal to have an opinion on someone, based on the public persona, whether it's a celeb, or not. I don't think I'm right for God's sake.

She could be permanently lovely, desperately concerned about other people, and putting them before herself the whole bloody time.

Fucking doubt it though.

She's not on my radar, I don't care whether this thread upsets her because she's not important to me or my day to day life.

She imagine she could think the same .

I'm not bothered how she spends her days; be it at Wimbledon, a memorial service or having her hair done.

I am a republican and think that we would be much better off if we didn't have to pay for any of them tbh. However, what irritates me most about the DoC and, indeed, many of the football (and other sporting) WAGs, other pointless celebrities etc. is the message that they are giving to young girls.

There is nothing to suggest that she is unintelligent - a University degree does tend to suggest some level of intelligence even a History of Art degree lol. That education gave her opportunities - more opportunities than a lot of children in this country have. If a woman chooses to be a SAHM then fine, but she had 9 years following leaving University to do something other than swan around going to parties, pretending to have a job with a clothes shop and then her parents. It is the sheer waste of that education that I find strange, along with the message that she is giving to young girls - like my DDs - that in the 21st century this is still an acceptable thing for a woman to do: hang around, wasting life, waiting for a man to marry you.

As I mentioned above, it's not actually just Kate that conveys this message, there are a lot of women/girls out there who are seen to make a point of going for the rich man/celebrity/sportsman. Whilst I'm all for personal choice, these examples are being plastered all over the media for impressionable young girls to see. I work with a small, local charity that supports disadvantaged children and see girls of 13 or 14 who are already giving up on the idea of work/education because they see women like this and think that they can do the same. ok, half of it is the media's fault for their portrayal of women but that's a separate argument because if these women didn't do it, then they wouldn't report it!

I am the mother of 2 primary school aged DDs. Neither of them are childn geniuses, but are doing well at school and have the capability to go onto University and get a good job and support themselves. The women I want them to have as role models are those who are truely independent and not afraid to have an opinion and make it known. Not someone who is only ever known for her last outfit. If they choose to marry, have DC and stay at home after that, then fine because they will still be strong, independent, opinionated women the sort the DM and its ilk hate so much. What I don't want them to do is hang around like some character in a Jane Austen novel waiting for a man to marry them.

looked at the diary seems the queen has more engagements a women if nearly 90

Saturn the fact is that she could use her high profile to make changes to raise awareness and she has not done this before she had children and certainly very little since but has enjoyed other public engagements ones I guess are more enjoyable is very telling of her commitment to her role it is not that of just being a wife and mother to future heir. She is in a position of extreme privilege as being future queen of England and mother to a future king a role that is like no other one that was actively pursued one that now she has she that she seems to not want to live up to. You can not compare other peoples lives to hers. It was always going to be one that had high expectations and high public profile

Agree that Kate is doing a great job for support for republicans so long may she not bother

As on here there are supporters of the monarchy who are asking the same questions why because so much more is rightly expected of her

Monarchists may well come to question her and expect more of her. I doubt three months after having a baby is the right time for that, whatever your views and however many staff you have.

And re engagements, the Queen is the Queen! Kate is married to the second in line to the throne and has a young family. Love how criticised the Queen is now for how much time she spent away form her children and left them to the Nanny but how Kate is not spending enough time away from them and should be leaving them more with the nanny.

Just to be clear - I'm not arguing that Kate is the best thing since sliced bread, just that people will pick out the argument that suits them when it suits them when really what they ought to be arguing is should we or shouldn't we have a monarchy.

Whether she turns out to be a decent consort only time will tell. UNless we get a republic sooner I think, in which case we'll never know.

Well, the end of their lives will be busier than this stage - maybe they consider this their equivalent of retirement! :/

(Why am I posting? I really don't care.)

Stokes (Why am I posting? I really don't care.)

I had the exact same thought myself! Time to go make some brownies...

I was more concerned about her husband donating his new jobs salary to charity tbh whats that all about