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.

If we ever got a Republic what would happen to the Royals william should be saving his air ambulance money just in case

He inherited a mint from Diana which has accumulated nicely in the Trust and I don;t think they have come close to frittering it all away just yet so I don't think you need to be overly concerned Mrsjayy

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

I think if you have a nanny and don't work it probably means that you aren't as hands on and engaged day-to-day really. Not that it's a criticism - I'd definitely consider it given half a chance!

Oh did he oh well im sure they could buy a little place somewhere

zeezeek I couldn't agree more. You have articulated every frustration I have with her. She has been extended every privilege that money can buy and yet has never done a hard days work in her life. She's a glorified clothes horse, who promotes an unhealthy body image (before people go down the 'she's naturally skinny' route, google her 10 years ago), and I hope to god my daughter or indeed scores of young girls don't grow up thinking it's ok to hang around for years, getting blow dries at Richard Ward until your monied boyfriend proposes.

Post marriage I acknowledge doing a 9-5 isn't exactly an option, but the scarcity of public engagements she does and the apparent disingenuity she displays when she's doing them is depressing. I think inspite of her middle class label- which lets face it is a misnomer and insult to the middle classes who go out to earn a crust- she appears to lack the ability to empathise, be human, or really give a shit and this is reflected furthermore by her failing to support more charities. I honestly can't name one she's officially a patron of (bar the scouts because she wore an expensive pair of wellies) and that speaks volumes...

Turning up to Wimbledon (how fun!!) as a Royal the day after she's failed to turn up to a memorial service will do nothing to dispel this...

I agree Kew it is about whether we need a Royal family not whether individual Royals are doing enough, the fact is that no matter how many public engagements she does she can never justify the huge amounts she gets paid that way. But if you look at the Royal family as an asset to this country in terms of bringing in tourists and so on (i know some people don't) she adds a great deal by being a fairy tale princess, looking (apparently) effortlessly great in the media and having amazing weddings, cute babies and a charmed life most people dream of. So in that way she is giving much better value for money than any of the other Royals.

I don't judge someone when I haven't walked in their shoes sweetgrape. I would have more sympathy with your view had you given any inkling that you had managed to get out and about doing things on maternity leave. I didn't and therefore I don't see why others should- especially ones who will be judged by the world on trivialities like clothes.
I am not particularly royalist although I think the Queen does a great job and it is the best system at the moment.
I take issue with the fact that it doesn't matter what the D of C does, or doesn't do, lots of people won't like it.
Sweetgrape doesn't like the fact she exists- she is on to a loser from the start! I had no idea that she went to the tennis and no idea that she didn't attend a memorial service- I think it a complete waste of time to be noticing and worrying about it. I can't even be bothered to re read to find out which service she missed.

Maybe one of the kids was ill on the day of the memorial service and she wanted to be with them.....

Maybe she did not feel well.....

Yes westlondoner. She's had one of the best educations money can buy and seems of above average intelligence yet has barely done a day's work in her life. Wasn't she bored?
My dh is Turkish and comes from a well off background. Several of his female relatives and friends' wives are just like Kate. They have gone to the best private schools and universities but haven't worked a day in their lives. Some of them are quite pleasant but usually they are airheads who can't empathize with anyone who isn't like them.
Kate doesn't seem to be interested in much except for being William's wife. I mean Diana was the daughter of an Earl but worked in a nursery. I bet she wasn't financially independent but she was interested in something.
Harry and William are so different. They are a credit to both their parents. They have their pet passions and have tried to contribute to society by doing normal jobs. I hope Harry finds a nice girl because he seems a bit lonely these days.

How can you possibly tell what she is interested in or what she is like as a person?! We don't know her at all.
Harry probably won't find a 'nice' girl- who on earth would want the position?! One thing is for sure- whoever she is she will end on MN being torn to shreds. And if she wants to keep private it will be assumed she is an empty airhead with no interests! Anyone would be mad to take it on.

Absolutely anyone on MN could have a position like that and be assured that whatever you are like and whatever you do someone will bitch about you and get plenty of supporters!

I think if you have a nanny and don't work it probably means that you aren't as hands on and engaged day-to-day really

Actually I think you'd be more engaged day-to-day than if you do work.

I think the lower level of public duties reflects two things:
1 - she isn't the wife of the heir only the wife of the second in line to the throne which probably ranks much lower in the royal hierarchy than Diana did
2 - they don't want a repeat of the Diana fiasco which put an unfeasible strain on her and caused a cult like status which was a bit at odds with the more establishment figures within the Royal family and hardly ended well for her.

The Duchy don't disclose what they pay for William and Kate but its believed to be the staff bill and costs of Royal duties. The balance comes out of Williams inherited money which he got access to at 30.

No-one with a functioning brain would take it on at leastMehitabel and then we all complain that the Royal family are "dim". Otherwise they would have worked out that they could take their assets that are in their name not the states and run off to America having a big knees up and making as many inappropriate comments and employing as many staff as they like.

In many ways she's to be pitted. To have health, youth, looks and money and not be free to do as you please. To have your whole life scheduled for you. To go to the same dinner parties (or whatever they do) and discuss the same limited number of genuine things. Must be dull.

Actually, I think the point that most people miss about the Royals is that they are boring, untalented people whom we are expected to bow down to and worship. So it's no good comparing her pregnancy with yours and maternity leave etc. They are treated like extraordinary people and they are not!

I know personally, and can think of so many superbly brilliant and talented people in the world. The royals are not this. Why should we not be resentful about being told we have to bow and scrape to people who have done nothing at all to warrant that sort of recognition. They were just born with a label on that says we have to do it. It's craziness.

I doubt it's dull all the time. It is not, however, entrepreneurial or creative. The public role that the Monarch adopts is highly prescribed. The insight into international politics must be unbelievable, however. The Queen is extremely well-informed.

Luckily they don't 'take it all and run' they do their duty and who so can blame them if they take a maternity leave. I would.

I agree the palace don't want a repeat of what happened with Diana and Fergie which is good. However, in response to the person who said how can we know what she's interested in, we do know quite a lot about other royals.
William - conservation
Harry - armed forces and children's charities
Charles - the environment
Camilla - osteoporosis
I remember when they split, Kate joined a charity dragon boat team but dropped out when they got back together. I thought that was a bit pathetic at the time.
Although Pippa gets a rough ride in the press, she does seem like quite an interesting and capable person. She'd do herself a big favour if she knuckled down and got a nine to five job though.

boden, you don't have to bow and scrape to them. You can completely ignore them if you want. If you happened to pass by when they were at a public engagement, you're free to turn your back, you could probably even shout "PARASITES!!" at these people you've never met and it would just earn you a hard stare from the minders in case you were about to leap over the barrier and physically attack her.

*if you have a nanny and don't work it probably means that you aren't as hands on and engaged day-to-day really

Actually I think you'd be more engaged day-to-day than if you do work*

Sorry what I meant is, if you choose not to work yet still have a nanny/nannies it implies you are less hands off I would think. And if you have multiple nannies you could well be less hands off than someone who works but looks after their children the rest of the time.

Not saying Kate shouldn't have one - wouldn't be feasible without.

Fergie was a bit overweight and got called the Duchess of Pork.
Diana was a bit too thin and got called a crazy bulimic.
Anne wears the same clothes and hair and gets called dull.
Everyone else wears different clothes and gets called extravagant, and a traitor if the clothes aren't by a British designer.
The Queen doesn't smile enough.
Kate smiles too much and is judged to be too fake and polished.
Beatrice wore a slightly ill judged wacky hat and everyone said it looked like a toilet seat.
Camilla was viewed as a husband stealing bitch for a long time and wasn't young or pretty enough.
I don't know anything about the Duchess of Kent except that she is called Princess Pushy.
Diana apparently wasn't pushy enough and was a crier who let herself be shoved around for too long.
Any of them who don't do paid work are called freeloading parasites.
Fergie wrote some children's books to make money and got sniggered at for being desperate and also- because she stuck to the advice "write about what you know" and made her character a helicopter- pathetically rah and out of touch.
I don't think Diana did massive amounts of charity work when her children were tiny, but she did more as they grew up, and that was OK. Except when she meddled in stuff she knew nothing about, like watching the heart operation that time, with mascara on.
The men get a bit of a hard time too - Charles for spending too much and being a tree hugger, Edward for being silly, William for being bald- but not half has hard a time as the women.
God help them if one of them ever dares to express an opinion of her own. She will be CRUCIFIED.

I don't know anything about the Duchess of Kent except that she is called Princess Pushy

I think that's Princess Michael of Kent.

Duchess of Kent is her polar opposite.