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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

772 replies

sweetgrape · 18/07/2015 20:18

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.

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penguinsaresmall · 20/07/2015 12:16

I don't expect Kate to be any less of a entitled, over-privileged right-wing parasite than the rest of them.

Although I do particularly take offence at her eyeliner Smile

saturnvista · 20/07/2015 13:26

There's a big difference between slagging off specific people and criticising monarchy in general. There will always be people who would disagree with an individuals choices no matter what they did, ask the more so if that person was part of a group that was disliked. It is perfectly possible to be anti monarchy yet decent and fair about individuals within it. Many posters here seem to be rather bullying in their attitude and justify it by protesting how much they hate the monarchy and how evil it is. They quite clearly aren't interested in any of the events that Kate did manage to attend while very pregnant. It's very one sided. If I was unable to have a normal job I'd be very glad to work in the family business, as my own Dh does among many others. I would not consider myself employed by the public and I wouldn't consider it my responsibility to justify the existence of the monarchy. I would want to support my Dh in what he did, do what I could as directed by advisors with more experience but mainly I would get on with raising my kids and wouldn't give a damn if anyone thought I should be going out to work rather than staying with them. They're not actually paid by the public and William's salary is given to charity. I have a problem with the uneven distribution of wealth but that is a far bigger problem than Kate or even the monarchy.

iniquity · 20/07/2015 14:59

Princess job description:
Produce nice children
Look nice in dresses
Smile and make small talk
I think she has managed all three very well.

sweetgrape · 20/07/2015 15:42

They're not actually paid by the public
Yes they are, even if not directly, one way or the other it comes from the public purse. On top of that of course is the millions that go on their huge security bill.

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sweetgrape · 20/07/2015 15:47

Princess job description:
Produce nice children
Look nice in dresses*
Smile and make small talk
I think she has managed all three very well.
Wow what a brilliant role model to young girls. How empowering. Was that Diana's job description too, she must be turning in her grave. She wouldnt have been as loved as she was if that is all she did.

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LaurieMarlow · 20/07/2015 15:51

Yes, to Sweetgrape's point, they get an allowance from the Duchy of Cornwall, which is the same deal as the civil lists - i.e. the income is donated to the crown, but it's not private windsor money.

I know Wills got a big inheritance from his Mama. But he's probably saving that for the revolution Wink

The fact that the funding mechanisms are so complicated really helps the royalist cause I reckon. Most people seem to be under the impression that they graciously donate their own (private) money to the state Hmm

sweetgrape · 20/07/2015 15:53

people say Kate Middleton because Duchess of Cambridge is such a mouthful I think totally agree, but you really cant win. I caused offence way up thread by calling Angelina Jolie by her married name. Just picky people I suppose.

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Sallystyle · 20/07/2015 15:57

What's wrong with her eyeliner?

silkoversatin · 20/07/2015 16:00

Well said Magicalham

Daisywellies · 20/07/2015 16:02

I think so many women keep their own name when they get married nowadays that people don't really think twice about referring to her as Kate Middleton.

Even back in the 80s, when it was usual to change your name upon marriage, a lot of people took a few years to stop referring to Princess Diana as Lady Di, or Diana Spencer. Likewise with Sarah Ferguson - it took a while for people to get used to referring to her as the Duchess of York.

Imustgodowntotheseaagain · 20/07/2015 17:26

"can't a girl go to uni and meet a man" - well, yes, but the evidence for something more calculated rests in the fact that Ms M gave up her place at Edinburgh, took a gap year and reapplied to St A to make sure she was there at the same time as William. Though I'm sure she wasn't the only one!

I do wonder if she ever regrets her choice.

Mrsjayy · 20/07/2015 17:37

Ah took many pages but Diana got a mention Hmm

Mrsjayy · 20/07/2015 17:39

So what if she chased hi m least she wasnt a hand picked virgin bride from approved stock

saturnvista · 20/07/2015 22:18

imustgodown Did Kate tell you that was her reason

MargoReadbetter · 20/07/2015 22:21

They call me Jane/That's not my name
They call me Kate/I'm not their mate

iniquity · 20/07/2015 22:22

Diana certainly looked nice in dresses and produced handsome children... But in hindsight I don't think she would have been picked again by the royal family.
She ignored the princess duty to turn a blind eye to husband's infidelity. And she ended up non comforming which the public praised her for after her demise.
No I don't think Diana made good princess material and I admire her for that.
Kate is so far being a better princess but then she did choose the role and the husband unlike lady Di

Becauseicannes · 20/07/2015 22:33

I think she is doing well. She had to
Learn a lot and has succeeded in looking like she has done this all her life. She doesn't have a choice about which events to attend. I am assuming she was assigned doing the Wimbledon appearance. There are plenty of people who like the royals, I was at Wimbledon when the queen was there and there was crowds of people pushing to take her photo. it was like Justin bieber was there.

Imustgodowntotheseaagain · 21/07/2015 17:26

saturn of course she did, we are bessie mates and she tells me everything

not really

fancyanotherfez · 21/07/2015 17:33

I don't think it's guaranteed that the monarchy will survive even to get to Prince George. The goodwill for the queen is very high but once she goes I can see more of a call for a much reduced monarchy or at least one more like the European royals. She needs to do more IMO to not speed up the process by being seen as some sort of Disney princess parody, looks pretty but ultimately pointless- or brood mare utterly out of step with modern womanhood.

EscapePea · 21/07/2015 19:33

@ OP: Yup! I try! ????

MargoReadbetter · 21/07/2015 21:53

"She had to learn a lot" Grin
Smile - tick
Wave - tick

Mehitabel6 · 21/07/2015 22:23

She will have to learn it without the benefit of this thread. Grin
All you can learn from it is that if A likes it, B will hate it, but if she does what B likes, A will hate it. C won't like anything at all because they don't like the system, and probably D-Z won't notice -and couldn't care less if they did!

Sleepsoftly · 21/07/2015 22:28

Your just jealous sweetgrape

Sweetgrape · 21/07/2015 23:35

No I'm not at all jealous sleepsoftly, and it's childish and ridiculous to say someone's jealous because they have a criticism of somebody. I was very critical of Margaret Thatcher, was I also jealous of her? I wonder why I wasn't jealous of Princess Diana then, because I didn't have the same the same criticisms of her. If I was a jealous person surely I'd have been jealous of her. I'm sure if there were forums like this when Diana was alive she would never have had the same level of criticism as Catherine gets.

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bodenbiscuit · 22/07/2015 00:54

Oh the jealousy accusation. Such a lazy argument.